Love, Lies and Empire
by krystalMage
Summary: Chapter 30 UP! "When you cannot defeat a man by sword or strength, then you steadily aim for one thing." Kenshin X Kaoru AU. Sorry, forgot to change the description first time around.
1. Two Kings

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin and its characters belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro. I don't own anything! There! I said it!! sniffles

**Rating:** T, The rating may go up in later chapters because of adult content.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 1: Two Kings**

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_**Konan**_

The night was stormy, harsh winds from the northern mountains ravaged the countryside. It was a terrible night, not a soul was to be seen outside. The biting cold made sure that any that strayed out into the night at this time, were forever sent to the halls from which no man or woman returned alive. The icy winds tore at the curtains of the palace windows, challenging even the most powerful dynasty to have walked the earth. The wind, an ancient power itself, perhaps showed its resentment of humans, and especially of this particular king, who took such joy in bending nature's will to his own.

Indeed, Shishio Makoto had never been beaten, not by his enemies, not by the strongest warriors in hostile countries, or by the fickle moods of circumstance, he had not been defeated when Yumi died and would not be defeated now. He looked at the abandoned courtyards of the palace. The wind had forced everyone inside except for the sentinels. This winter had been particularly hard, Konan was not familiar with hard winters. It was a sunny land, fruitful valleys, low rolling hills and warm, warm sunshine. It was a far cry from the ruthless weather of northern Kutoe. There had been problems of late - scarcity, lack and need.

Shishio Makoto, fifth of that name and current emperor of Konan stood at his window, ignoring the bite of the wind as it tore into the clothes on his body, the skin on his face and his hair. The king would not cower before the wind. He hated the north, from where this wind came. He hated it as much as he hated its king, his rival, the only man whom he had never been able to defeat. And now that defeat was an even bigger sore on his mind, as the danger of invasion and war loomed over Konan.

Shishio was king who ruled his land with compassion and justice. He loved his people and always strove to make their life better. His laws were not arbitrary, based on the whim of despots like those in other countries, he made laws to protect not punish his people. He was a king for whom every man, woman and child would gladly die, and they had. Every time a threat had risen against Konan, its citizens had joined the army, even if they had nothing but pitch forks to fight with. But today that zeal, that fervor would not be enough.

He remembered the words of his father a day before he left for war. One which he would never return from,

"_Remember Shishio, being a king is not a joyful task. A king is bound by the laws of his country; do not think that you can bend and break the laws as you please, if the king himself is so disdainful of his laws, what respect for them shall a commoner have for them. Know this, to be a king is to be the first in every desperate attack, and the last in every desperate retreat. Being a king means that you must keep a happy face and laugh the loudest while you have the scantiest meal in the kingdom on your table, even as you try to forage and scavenge for your subjects. _

The king turned away from the window, but did not shut it. He was a stubborn man, he had needed to be. When his father had died in battle, leaving him to ascend the throne, he had been little more than a carefree boy. Seventeen years old and faced with the prospect of pulling together a country on the brink of destruction. But he had done it; he rallied his army, ran at the head of the columns in battles, and stunned his opponents with his skill. Even the members of his father's court were baffled. This fearless boy was a far cry from the pampered, Casanova that he had been at court. The prince who used to be forever ensconced in the courtesans' quarters had vanished; in his place, a stern warrior had emerged. The prince had turned from wood to steel the day his sire died. His soft manner and frivolous antics had stopped completely. War ended swiftly owing to the presence of his sword. He then wasted no time in signing peace treaties and trade agreements making war virtually impossible with the surrounding countries. Rumors had been kind to him and made him out to be a giant of a man, and a demon when he wielded his sword. Shishio and his chief advisor, Hoji encouraged these rumors as they made the treaty signing easier for the young king. However, these tricks had not fooled Hiko Seijuro then and they would not fool him now.

Shishio frowned as he thought about the thorn in his side. Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth, Emperor and Lord of all lands north of Konan. Kutoe, the largest and most powerful kingdom in the Eastern World was his bastion and it sat, a looming dragon, on the borders of Konan, or rather it was the other way around, Konan rested on Kutoe borders, and was the only land whose king had not kow-towed to Hiko Seijuro. Shishio had refused to swear fealty to the Lightning Emperor, choosing instead to retain the sovereignty of Konan.

The emissary from Kutoe, a scion of some noble family no doubt, had seemed amused by his refusal. He bowed courteously but the gesture seemed to mock him. He knew this to be true; that day, Shinomori Aoshi had not bowed to him but made his contempt apparent. He was imprinted like a brand in his mind, tall, dark ebony bangs falling over his eyes. Eyes, seemingly made of the coldest ice, quietly taking in every thing they saw to report to their master, eyes that did not lie, that told him, that refusing Hiko Seijuro was a stupid, foolhardy and insane act. He had left immediately after. Shishio had expected the Lightning Emperor's strike to be swift and unforgiving, yet nothing happened. A year had passed since that event and his armies were getting restless. A soldier will stake everything he has when the enemy is visible but when the enemy disdains to make an appearance, that same vigilant soldier begins to relax….a fatal mistake.

A deep dread was seated in Shishio's breast, if there is war with Kutoe, Konan will not survive. Hiko will not show me or mine mercy. His thoughts then flew towards his only child, the anchor of his life, his daughter…..Kaoru. If war came, what would happen to Kaoru? She will insist on fighting, she is a warrior after all. Shishio's chest swelled with pride when he thought about his daughter. He could not have asked for a finer daughter or son. Kaoru was the culmination of his life's work, she was his soul. Sometimes, he was scared of the love he felt for her. His child. He could not have even imagined feeling as vulnerable and strong in the same instant as when he thought of her. Had it been only ten years since Yumi died? Kaoru had inherited all the best qualities of her parents but her spirit, her spirit was her own. So fearless, so beautiful….Shishio sighed. The night would pass away yet he would still be thinking about her. Hoji sometimes complained that he had spoiled her, she was too arrogant, too headstrong than was proper for a woman, and a princess no less. But Shishio paid him no heed, Kaoru had been trained as a prince, taught how to ride, shoot with a bow, and fight with a sword. She was educated in every art that a prince ought to know, conversation, diplomacy and governance. Hoji took it upon himself to teach her the principles of economics and Kaoru proved to be a swift and gifted student. She delighted in asking questions, knowledge was something miraculous to her and she wanted to leave nothing behind. However, that his daughter would shun the katana and adopt the bokken was something he had never imagined.

Kamiya Kasshin Ryu….the sword that protects…Kaoru was fascinated with the idea. Despite his protests, that such an art did not befit a woman who had the blood of warriors running through her veins, Kaoru ignored his pleas and signed up as a student of Kamiya dojo. Now, years later she was almost a master of the sword style. Almost because, she had never had the opportunity to complete her training; her master had been called to war service in the last territorial spat behind Konan and Kutoe and had been killed. Kaoru was shattered and resolved to run the dojo on her own, however this was not possible. Firstly, because Shishio Makoto would be dead before any daughter of his taught at a dojo and secondly, her own duties had increased. Reluctantly she had to abandon training.

Shishio chuckled, if Kaoru had spent eleven years of her life becoming a warrior, the past three years had been concentrated on turning her into a lady again. Something, Kaoru was not happy about, not at all. She had thrown tantrums, caused chaos and disturbance in the whole palace, attempted to run away a few times but after seeing that her father was adamant and that she wasn't going to be allowed any privileges till she learned how to walk, talk, dress and act like a lady, she agreed to the lessons, albeit with a constant scowl on her face.

Chuckling once more, Shishio strode out of his chambers and made his way to the eastern wing of the palace. Passing through several labyrinth like corridors and courtyards, Shishio finally came to the door beyond which lay his most precious treasure. As he slowly pushed the door open, the two guards at the sides jumped to attention and swung their swords before realizing who it was.

"Your majesty!...I…I'm very sorry highness…I did not realize it was you", the man got down on his knees, "Please forgive me". Shishio glanced at him, a young boy, no more than eighteen years….Hmmmm…what is Kamatari thinking, posting such young fellows at Kaoru's door. I'll have to speak to him about this.

"At ease. Resume your duty". Shishio gently walked into his daughter's room. There she was, asleep while reading again. Kaoru half-sat, half lay propped up by pillows on her enormous bed. The curtains of the bed were drawn back and tied at the posts, allowing the moonlight inside. The silver beams of the beam fell on her face, making her seem ethereal, as if she was not of this realm. Her milk and peaches complexion shone with health and happiness, her midnight blue tresses fanned out on the pillows, a few stray strands falling on her cheeks. In her hands, she clutched a book of poetry. Her knuckles were white from the strain she was unconsciously putting on her self. Shishio gently pried the book from her hands, and smoothed the bed covers over her. He placed his hand on her forehead, bent forward and gently kissed her temple. Satisfied, that his child was safe and in pleasant dreams, the king of Konan quietly retreated and made his way back to his own chambers. Dawn was a few hours away and he needed to sleep to deal with affairs of state and…..yes….to deal with Kaoru.

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_**Kutoe**_

The sunlight washed over the pristine white walls of Kutoe palace, an imposing, impressive building that was as big as a city itself. The palace was spread across many leagues, its interiors as imposing and powerful as the façade. The palace was awe-inspiring and forbidding, like its ruler, Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth. The Lightning Emperor as he was called, feared nothing and no one and this was evident in his manner, his very being. Hiko Seijuro was more threatening and impressive in person than what the rumors spoke. His air of supremacy and disdain towards all others enveloped him like a second skin. There were few in the world that would look into his eyes and not tremble. One was standing in front of him now, and another was still lost in slumber.

Hiko looked at the man standing in front of him and smiled inwardly. His nephew had grown up to be a fine man. Of course, all due to his own inspiring influence, no doubt about that, but a fine man. He had been the perfect choice to send as emissary to Makoto. Aoshi had observed and studied the renegade king carefully and made many insightful comments that Hiko had appreciated. That Shishio had blatantly refused his emissary was amusing, entertaining even. It had been too long since someone had challenged him, and Hiko liked challenges. Although the biggest challenge of his entire life was asleep at the moment, Shishio would suffice for now. He would put up a fight and it would be entertaining to finally break him.

Aoshi regarded his uncle silently. He had given his report, informed him of the latest developments in Konan. It had been a year since he had been sent to Shishio's court and he had quietly been obtaining information secretly since then. His latest report should have delighted his uncle yet there was no trace of emotion or acknowledgement on Hiko's features. Damn him! He was so hard to read. Aoshi prided himself on being able to tear through peoples' masks but Hiko baffled him. The only one who could read him with any accuracy was his cousin, the heir apparent to the throne and to Hiten Mitsurugi, Hiko Seijuro's sword technique. Kenshin.

Aoshi snapped back to attention as he realized Hiko was saying something. "…I assume you have something beside your report". Aoshi nodded. Hiko flicked his wrist lightly in the air. "Well what is it? I don't have all day to sit here and stare at you. Out with it."

Aoshi flinched inwardly, he had never really gotten used to Hiko's biting replies. After all, he hadn't seen him in years. His ninja training ensured he kept his ki and facial emotions in check but that didn't mean he was comfortable around the man who was his uncle. He didn't know how Kenshin dared to talk back to Hiko but he supposed it came of being his apprentice for so long and of staying in court.

"Konan, my lord…is ready for the taking"

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**Author Notes**

Liked it, hated it, can't make up your mind? Please review!!!


	2. Prince and Princess

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is not mine. I have used the characters but they are not mine. There's no justice in the world 

**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 2: Prince and Princess**

_Konan_

Dipping its head, the ebony horse gently lapped water from the forest stream. It raised its head to watch its rider sitting at the edge of the precipice, waiting. When the sun rose, swiftly running away from the folds of the night that had bound him, the slender figure rose, and watched the sun silently for a while before stretching both arms out toward the sun. The gesture was one of welcome, of worship and of love. The horse slowly ambled towards the figure and gently pressed its nose forward, making the figure turn around.

Kaoru smiled. "Did you see that Ko? What a beautiful sunrise!" she sighed, "The world looks so alive today…. and beautiful…don't you wish it may stay this way…forever…" The horse cocked his head to one side and regarded the girl with soft, brown eyes, what had gotten into his human today, she was normally so cheerful and noisy it took a command from the king to shut her up, and here she was, willfully staying silent. It wasn't natural, not for this human anyway.

Kaoru looked towards the sun one more time, then shaking her head turned away. She smoothly mounted the horse and urging him to a gallop, raced away towards the city. She had risen early today and left the palace secretly. She didn't want to wake anyone else because that would have meant smiling, and politeness and niceties, and Kaoru really was not in the mood for any of that today. Today, there would be just her and her shinai, and if anybody even tried to interrupt, well, there would be more than one bumpy head sitting in the Royal Infirmary. Enough was enough! Just how much tea did they expect her to serve anyway? It wasn't as though she wouldn't have any servants or that any of this even mattered, but no! Everything had to be proper, elegant, ladylike…my foot!

They just had to come to her bearing rolls and rolls of kimonos designed to make her walk slowly, so slow it would take her a week to make her way from one courtyard to another. She knew a conspiracy when she saw one. It was obvious from the way she was being told to behave, something was cooking…. and it stank. She wasn't a fool, she could see the signs, first it was her mannerisms, then her clothes, next they would come and tell her that she could no longer ride in public but that she had to take a palanquin the next time she wanted to venture out, then she would have to ask for permission to visit certain sections of the city…not that she went out into the city anyway, but still, it was a matter of principle.

And finally, they would present her to some pampered prince and expect her to nod her head and assent to marriage. Well she had news for them -it ain't gonna happen! Not _this_ princess, any way! Marriage was the last thing she wanted right now. Just the other day Da had tried to broach the subject and she had thrown a fit. They would not leave her alone, everywhere she went, she could feel people following her, watching her every move. It was driving her insane! But today, nothing but her bamboo sword and the dojo or there would be bloodshed. There was enough time later on to act like a demented doll, but now was not that time.

Kaoru felt her heart catapult at the sight of the dojo. She drew Ko to the gate and jumped off gracefully. Whatever Kaoru might lack in temperament she made up with grace. Kamatari would often say that she was blessed with the grace and agility of a cat, no matter what the situation; Kaoru would land on her feet. She walked into the dojo, noting the emptiness and solitude inside. The abandoned feel of the place tore at her heart; it seemed as though every stone and brick in the building was accusing her of forgetting her promise and betraying her master. Kaoru gently flicked a tear off her left cheek, and purposely strode forward, shinai in hand. She took her stance solemnly and slowly began to go through the motions of her katas.

Swish…flashes of her training here ran through her mind even as she continued to swing the bamboo sword over and above her head then down in front of her body…. swish…. her sensei gently explaining the principles of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu…. swish…. her first test…. swish…. disciplining…. swish…. sensei adjusting her position…swish…the summons to war…swish…the letter to father…sensei was dead…. killed in action…swish. Kaoru stopped. She gently brought the sword down and held it in her hands, fingers caressing the smooth bamboo. This was hers. She had to carry it forward; she had to ensure this art did not die out. It was her sensei's legacy and she would not see it perish like this. It was time, for that conversation with her father. She knew her father would not approve, he would try to dissuade her, perhaps even get angry but in the end he would not refuse her, he could not. Kaoru knew she was her father's biggest strength but also his greatest weakness. He could not refuse her anything she set her heart on, he could not, and she just had to make him understand. That was all there was to it.

Nodding, Kaoru resumed her katas. Outside the dojo, another horse came to rest beside the ebony colored Ko. Ko neighed in greeting, the rider slid down his horse and walked towards Ko, stroking his head when he reached him. The man, if you could call him that, was very beautiful, in fact his appearance and mannerisms often caused people to believe him to be a woman. A fact that the man himself had no objection to, he prided himself on his feminine appearance. But for all purposes, appearances were deceptive. Kamatari looked to the dojo and smiled as he listened to his niece practicing.

"Ko…. your mistress seems upset about something, what happened?" Kamatari silently walked towards the entrance to the dojo. "What is going on in your head minxlette…I dare say you will be the death of me." He opened the shoji and stepped inside. The figure that had been fervently practicing, her shinai slicing through the air, suddenly stopped. Pivoting on her left foot, Kaoru turned around with a combative look on her face. She smirked and took a defensive stance, challenging Kamatari to spar with her.

"A challenge?" Kamatari smirked as she curtly nodded. "Is this wise, Kaoru, crossing swords with me?"

"Humph! Don't try to get out of it by twisting words. You're always slipping away. But today there's nowhere you can run. Stand and fight! Or are you too scared, of being beaten by your niece?"

"Hmmm. It's because you are my niece that I'm even listening to your ranting. If you weren't my niece you would have been dead by now. Taking that tone with me is not a smart thing to do." He shrugged off his cloak, smiled at his fierce-looking opponent and slowly walked out on to the polished wooden floor that was covered with a film of dust due to the neglect. The shinai was not his preferred weapon and this put him at a slight disadvantage however he was a clever fighter; he never made the mistake of underestimating his opponent, especially if that opponent was his niece. She still had much to learn, but he would humor her, a real fight would probably leave her shaken since her weapon of choice was a wooden sword, with which she hadn't trained of late.

They squared off, each watching intensely, neither wanting to strike the first move. Sword fighting is not about the strength of the body but it depends upon the strength of the mind. The ability to keep a balanced and rational view is what often makes all the difference. Kamatari had spent years honing his ki ability and cooling his mind. Kaoru on the other hand was a spitfire, unpredictable, you never could tell what she was capable of, and this unnerved him.

While he was still lost in his thoughts, Kaoru moved, taking a high guard she lunged towards Kamatari who moved away just in time, swinging his own sword down diagonally to catch her back. Kaoru anticipated the move and using her shinai as support she pivoted and kicked, her leg connecting solidly with Kamatari's back. He winced and his knee buckled just as Kaoru came forward once more. He moved quickly blocking her attack with the sheath of his sword and shoving her back a few paces.

"Where did you learn that? It is certainly not Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. I remember every move you learnt from your sensei, this is not one of them." All traces of camaraderie had left his voice. This was beginning to get interesting. His little minxlette was, perhaps improvising, the next stage in swordsmanship.

"Oh nowhere in particular, you remember how you and Da used to keep telling me not to play with the street kids, no good would come of it? Well that's where I learnt a trick or two. Why? Can't stand playing rough?" Kaoru laughed with joy. Pulling one above her uncle didn't happen to her very often, in fact it never happened. Kamatari was too astute a fighter to let her get away with much.

"Street moves?" he chuckled. I've been surprised by street moves. I better get my act together, or I'd never hear the end of it. All right minxlette, you want to play rough, do you, fine by me. He smirked and swung his sword from left to right, in sweeping motions, again and again, letting the rhythm calm him so he found his center.

Kaoru stiffened. What was he doing? This doesn't look good. That kick was merely a fluke I think, I just thought of it at the last minute, but he…what's he doing? I've never seen him try a move like this before. Or is it just to make me wary. Well, whatever it is now, can't back down. Or I'd never hear the end of it.

He stopped, too suddenly for Kaoru's liking and then when she least expected it, she saw the sword, hurtling towards her, a blurred circle. Kaoru did the only thing she could think of, swung to her side so she was out of the whirling sword's path and then struck down with all her strength. The sword clattered to the floor. Kaoru stared at it for a few moments and then slowly turned to look at Kamatari. She was furious. This had been no duel! He had been playing with her all along. She was enraged. Completely, totally enraged.

"What in the name of the seven heavens was that?" She roared. "That was no duel and you know it! And you call yourself a warrior! You can't even fight your own niece without resorting to tricks! Explain yourself right now Kamatari! I mean it!" She poked her finger in his ribs with the last sentence she spoke. Her eyes were blazing; she was red in the face, obviously not taking defeat very kindly. Kamatari yawned. So, it a mere flash of brilliance, Kaoru really hadn't learned anything new. Time to put the rug rat in her place.

"Yes, yes, I know I know. But honestly, did you really expect me to be cowered by that little display just now, hmm? Look Kaoru, granted you surprised me a little but in order to be a swordsman of any caliber you really need to rein in that temper. If we were in a battle right now, you would have been history. How many times must I tell you? Never show your hand. Keep your emotions locked and throw away the key. But if you would rather behave like a gypsy, well, that's just fine with me", having said this, he strode to his discarded cloak, shook it and swung it around his shoulders again. He looked at Kaoru who was still glaring at him, seething at her easy defeat. Kamatari suppressed a giggle.

"Come minxlette, don't sulk. You know I hate it when you spoil your pretty face like that".

"I am NOT sulking, _uncle_", said Kaoru, her voice dripping with poison. Kamatari couldn't contain his laughter any longer. He laughed heartily, getting louder as he observed the various shades of red running through Kaoru's face. She picked up her shinai and cloak in anger and marched out. Kamatari wiped his tears and looked around, "oh shit, I think she's upset". He quickly made his way to the horses where he found Kaoru untying Ko's reins. He bit his lip to stop the giggles that were simply bursting to escape but to do so now, would make his little minx angrier and even though the prospect was entertaining, he didn't want to aggravate her. After all, she was the only decent female company in court. The rest of the women were as dull as ditch water… well perhaps he was being too cruel but there was only so much gallantry a man could muster at the end of a long day. The women who were involved in governance and the army were far more enchanting than the so-called butterflies of court.

He blinked when he felt his horse's reins being shoved into his hands. Looking down and then quickly up at Kaoru who was already mounted, he couldn't hide his confusion. "Well? Are you coming or not? Or would you rather leave Da languishing in hunger while he waits for us?"

In one fluid movement, he was mounted, reins in hand, urging the stallion to the road. Digging his heels into the sides of the horse, he smiled. "Does this mean I am forgiven?"

"No"

"Really?"

"Yes"

"You really need to start working on being sweet tempered and forgiving Kaoru, it does wonders in making your way to a man's heart," Kamatari lightly teased her.

Kaoru grimaced. "Ugh! I don't need to make my way to a man's heart."

"Ahhh yes I forgot, all you need to do is bat your eyelashes, bend your head a little, and if you're feeling really generous, you could always flash some leg"

"Kamatari! What are you talking about? I didn't mean it like that!"

"No…oh of course you didn't minxlette, I was just guessing". Kamatari glossed over her arguments, in the manner of person refuting the obvious.

Kaoru sputtered.

"No! You do not understand, I never meant that"

"Well, what did you mean then?" Kamatari arched an eyebrow.

Kaoru drew a long breath and spoke, "what I meant was that I'm not interested in men! Ok!"

"Oh. Well. I'm not sure your father thought about that possibility. Having one homosexual in the family is proving to be too much for him...hmmm...I wonder what he'd do if found out that you…. well…don't you worry honey. I'll talk to him. It's just a matter of persuading him to find you a wife instead of a husband", Kamatari went on talking with a deadpan expression, completely ignoring Kaoru who started out by shaking her head vehemently to going as red as a ripe tomato in the face and finally holding her head in her hands as she bent over her horse, resting her face in Ko's mane.

"You are despicable, Kamatari."

Kamatari laughed, stroking her hair lovingly, "I love you too, minxlette".

_Kutoe_

Aoshi hurried through the eastern wing, he didn't want to be called back to Hiko, if he could help it, seeing him once a week was more than enough. He wondered once again, like he had a thousand times since returning to the Palace, how on earth did Kenshin survive training sessions with him? His cousin had to be made of some element apart from the rest of them in order to stay so close to Hiko and still remain sane. Speaking of whom, he had reached his destination. Aoshi wondered at the lack of guards surrounding the chambers of the Heir Apparent. There was not a single soul visible.

Aoshi reached up to knock, but before his knuckles even reached the polished wood of the door, it swung open and the next instant Aoshi found himself buried in a tight embrace. He sputtered, and shoved the warm body away. Blinking he looked down, and promptly broke into a grin. "Sano! What are you doing here!"

A young man previously sprawled on the floor from the force of his shove, nimbly got to his feet, dusting off his clothes before looking at the man he had just attempted to wring out. He was as tall as Aoshi, had a lean body that was packed with muscles. His chocolate brown eyes twinkled mischievously as a grin formed on his cocky features. His spiky hair stood up contained by a red bandana. He laughed.

"Just got back this morning. Came here straight after reporting to Takasugi. Heard you were in the palace…and reporting to Hiko. That just blew the wind outta my sails and I hurried over here to find His Highness making up for his lost beauty sleep"

Before he could finish, a pillow banged into his face, effectively shutting him up. He angrily glared in the direction whence it came from to settle on the occupant of the huge four-poster bed in the center of the room. Lazily lifting his frame from the bed, Kenshin glared back at Sano before turning to Aoshi and winking. "I heard you were back cuz." Aoshi regarded the man with thoughtful eyes before smiling back. He had always been bit of an enigma to him. That Hiko chose Kenshin over himself to be the next emperor of Kutoe was a fact he had come to terms with long ago. He didn't hold any grudge over that. Aoshi was not one to obsess over things he could not help.

Every generation in a family has one spark, one genius child who gains the affections of all those around him or her. In the Seijuro dynasty, there were two, Aoshi and Kenshin had both impressed everyone who came into contact with them, with their quick wits, and later their skills with the sword. But where Aoshi was the master of the kodachi twin swords, Kenshin had surpassed all others to a level they could now, never achieve. The decision to train Kenshin in Hiten Mitsurugi had been the final signal. Hiko Seijuro had chosen his heir, and it was accepted with respect like everything else.

Aoshi's gaze rested on Kenshin's hair. His hair, like the color of dried blood, dark, brooding red, contrasting with his brilliant amethyst eyes. Most people avoided meeting Kenshin's eyes because they were wary of what lay there, his eyes, swirling pools of violet turned a dark navy when angry and when the bloodlust of battle and bloodshed took him they melted into molten pools of amber. His eyes. He had heard his victims, (the ones he sometimes left alive on a whim or more often on Hiko's orders) sometimes babbling, rambling about the eyes that had shown them horror even while his sword had not touched them, not drawn a single drop of blood, yet his eyes bore into them and broke them forever.

In the dungeons of Kutoe, where rebels, thieves, and prisoners of war languished in the dark of despair, these eyes were the last thing they remembered, everything else was lost to a mire of memory, never claimed, never called for again. Whispers of a demon with molten eyes and blood red hair wisped about the countryside, traveling down the trade routes to the southern lands where soldiers gripped their spears and swords tighter if someone so much as breathed his name. _Battousai_.

Aoshi started as a hand waved in front of his eyes. He focused to find Sano and Kenshin looking at him, concerned. Kenshin came forward and grasped his arm. "Aoshi. Are you all right? Did Shishou rattle you?"

Aoshi looked at him, the violet gaze centered on him, showing real concern. And yet, for his ghastly reputation, Kenshin had a heart. He genuinely cared for very few people in the world; he knew he was one of them. Growing up, the three of them had forged a strong bond, which no dojo or battlefield rivalry could mar. There had been times where they had almost killed each other before Okina pulled them apart, but those fights led them to understand each other completely.

When he was sent away for ninja training and Sano left to train with Anji, Kenshin was left alone to deal with the intrigues of court. Every step was a test laid out by Hiko, every conversation monitored by faceless spies who melted into the walls when he turned to face them. The extent to which Kenshin had transformed was revealed four year ago, when he had returned from camp to see his cousin. Kenshin had been twenty and seemed as though a steel curtain now existed between them. No word of his passed through it, he stared at him as though he didn't know him, and then Sanosuke had arrived and pounced on the two of them, bringing them to the ground. The mask fell away and the amber eyes turned velvet once more. In that moment, the three of them silently vowed, they could retain masks for the whole world but here, with just the three of them, nothing would be hidden.

Once again, he felt someone shake him; Kenshin was worried. Aoshi flinched as a hand struck his cheek stinging him. He immediately snapped out of his reverie to look sharply at Kenshin. "What the hell was that for?"

"And he's back." Sano snorted. "Took you long enough, you blockhead. We've been talking to you for ages, while you were off thinking god-knows-what. Hey Aoshi!" Aoshi moved to the window "If you wanna be lost thinking legs first thing in the morning, give us some warning ok! We'll clear out!"

Kenshin smirked. "Let him be Sano, he's just met Shishou, that can't have been very comfortable."

"It was not. Nothing is ever comfortable around him. I wonder how you do it."

"I'm used to it. And he knows he can't get rid of me now, I'm the best pupil he'd ever find." Kenshin stepped out from behind the polished rosewood screen where he had been dressing. "Don't let it get to you. You don't have to see him for another week. Forget him"

"Now", Kenshin swiftly crossed the room and picked up a scroll that lay on a small lacquered table near the opposite wall. Spreading the scroll on the centre table, he looked up at Aoshi and spoke, "what news? When do we ride to battle?"

Aoshi frowned. "Not for another four or five months. I do not understand the need for the delay. Konan is weak and its armies are scattered. Shishio is wary yet he is not sure where our first strike shall land so he keeps rotating his armies around the perimeter. If we strike now, we can wrap the battle up in twelve days or less. But he just won't hear of it. Watch the perimeter that's it. That's all he said".

Kenshin looked at the map carefully while Sano snorted, "Figures, The old dingbat's finally lost it. The council isn't gonna support this. They'll wanna hit as hard and fast as we can. There isn't any point in risking it. Konan may not have a great army, but those men can fight. And Shishio isn't a pushover, if Hiko thinks he can push Konan over, he's got another thing coming. He's lost his marbles I tell you."

"No", Kenshin's eyes narrowed and his eyes turned dark blue. He rose, rolling the scroll back into a cylinder, "he knows exactly what he's doing. Shishio refused his vassal offer, didn't he? Shishou wants to humiliate him. He won't strike now; he'll keep playing with Konan till it is too tired to fight. By the time, our armies enter their borders; they will be too weary to fight."

The three men stood silently. Sano looked at his friends' faces uneasily. Aoshi was fine but Kenshin, his eyes were getting darker; he could make out flecks of amber in the blue. He cajoled them to go out for the evening. The three then went their separate ways, there was plenty of time to kill before dusk, and they were needed elsewhere.

Kenshin made his way to the court. All along the way, he thought about Hiko's Konan strategy, there wasn't a loophole anywhere. When they struck, harvest would just have been finished. Festivals and ancestral rites would keep the Konan citizens busy. Aoshi's Oniwaban would slip by unnoticed and the army would circle around closing in silently, not letting a soul escape. The men would be killed, the women, taken as slaves. Some of the beautiful ones would be kept, others sold further a field.

The produce would be seized; it was after all spoils of war, booty, theirs by right of conquest. And the royal family…Shishio, he believed had a daughter. He had reached Hiko's door. It would be kinder if Shishio slit her throat himself, Hiko would probably just give her to his soldiers, or hand her to one of the generals if she were exceptionally beautiful. Why was he even bothered? Not like he would care what happened to her.

He paused before the door of the Court. He pushed it open, making his way to a seat next to Hiko's. He heard the gasps and bated breath of people who were seeing him for the first time. He smirked. Commoners, people who had no confidence, no sense of self worth were useless in his opinion. They were better dead, than alive; at least they didn't get in the way. He spied Aoshi, standing in the shadows behind Hiko's throne.

The Court had settled down. His uncle's chief advisor, Katsura began proceedings. Kenshin stifled the urge to yawn. He schooled his expression to one of attentive contemplation. Allowing his eyes to move across the hall, his eyes were arrested by the presence of one individual. Kenshin raised his head slightly, and a smirk tugged at his mouth.

The man's angled features, white hair were unmistakable, and round spectacles, perched on his nose completed the picture that was Yukishiro Enishi. So the crazed imbecile had returned had he? Interesting. Now if only he could find out if his delectable sister was in the city too. Tomoe was someone he wouldn't mind meeting again, no he wouldn't mind that at all. Damn this meeting! It couldn't get over fast enough.

The court proceedings were adjourned an hour later and Kenshin was about to make his way to Enishi when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. It was Hiko. "And where do you think you're off to, baka? I am not finished with you yet. You have a job to do, Get Sano and Aoshi, we need to talk". Kenshin narrowed his eyes, casting his eyes down and then looking up seeking Enishi out, hoping he would catch his eye but Enishi was busy talking to Katsura. Hiko followed his gaze. "Don't tell me you're still mooning over that Yukishiro girl, aren't you bored of her yet?Find someone new will you? even I'm sick of seeing the same girl get out of your room every morning."

Having said this, Hiko turned away. Kenshin bristled. "Would you rather I do what you do, my liege, replace a mistress every week?"

Hiko stopped in his tracks. He smirked. "Do you know why I am still emperor, Kenshin? Even though you are now old enough to ascend the throne?" Kenshin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright as Hiko's ki washed over him. "It's because you are predictable, bakadeshi, too predictable."

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**Author Notes:**

Did you like it? Please review. Guys it'll take you 1 teeny tiny minute but it'll put a HUGE, we're talking HUGE smile on my face!

All the people who reviewed last time THANK YOU. It meant a lot to me. The feedback has been used in this chappie.

To elfrowen: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it:)

**Next chapter:** Konan - Shishio, kamatari and Kaoru have a discussion. Kutoe - after getting a verbal lashing from Hiko, Kenshin, Sano and Aoshi take an evening out. pairings remain KK, AM, SM.


	3. Battles of the Mind

**Summary: **Two kingdoms opposed to one another since ancient times, one trying to sustain its identity even as the other seeks to override it completely. Hiko and Shishio are two kings whose heirs Kaoru and Kenshin must find a way to bring peace to a land that has seen too much bloodshed, can they do it? Are they even willing to stop the war? KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. Woeful, sad, unlucky me!

**Rating:** T for language, drunkenness, and some adult situations in later chapters.

**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 3: Battles of the Mind**

_Konan_

It was a beautiful day. The kind of day Konan was famous for, the skies a brilliant blue, the sun shining brightly, everything vivid, clear and tranquil. The streets were slowly filled to capacity with people, horses, mule carts, and hawkers, the dust and noise mingled together with the scents of the merchandise. After a really long time, the sun had finally broken free of the hail clouds that blocked his passage. After an unnatural spell of cold, freezing winter right after a temperate fall, a freak event, it seemed as though the sun had found its way back to Konan.

But for the man standing on the terrace outside the Royal chambers, the splendor of the morning meant nothing. He did not feel the lilting breeze, did not see the play of the crystalline water falling in the fountains in the garden, all he could see and feel was a sense of doom and finality. The man had no time to observe the richness of the land he stood upon, instead, he was focused upon only one thing, how to counter the growing threat of Kutoe. Chief among Shishio's advisors, the first to whom the king would turn to in an emergency, Hoji Sadajima was feeling more than a little perplexed and troubled as he ran over what he had to convey to his liege that day.

No man wishes to be the bearer of bad news however, that's all he seemed to be bringing these days. How long could it go on? How long could they repel the might of Hiko Seijuro? Hoji kept running these questions in his mind. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he did not even realize when his king came and stood beside him.

Shishio looked at his Chief Advisor and noticed that the man was staring off into space while periodically wringing his hands behind his back. He was frowning and obviously upset. He wished that Hoji would just lighten up once in a while. There's no problem that can't be solved with a cool and collected mind. He placed a reassuring hand on Hoji's shoulder and barely managed to contain his laughter at the poor man's reaction. Hoji had practically jumped. He hadn't realized he was this tensed. Shishio struggled to keep his laughter at bay and finally succeeded. Hoji in the meantime, was snapping his mouth open and shut, obviously embarrassed by what had just transpired.

Returning to his normal self he spoke, "a thousand pardons, your Majesty, I…I don't know what came over me. I am truly sorry." He bowed low.

Shishio waved his apologies away. "How long have we known each other Hoji? You can really stop doing that, you know. My principle councillor should hardly be bowing and scraping before me in any case. And it doesn't suit you." Shishio strolled back inside where a beautiful rosewood dinner table was waiting, laden with food. The walls of the room were paneled with cypress, the low rosewood table resting in one side. Soft cushions were placed around it carefully. Shishio sat down, his swords, a katana and a shorter wakizashi propped by his side. It was an old habit from when he was always off defending one border or the other.

Hoji sighed. "You are my king, my liege lord. We may have known each other forever; however we must not forget that. And do not console me today Shishio. I bring you grave news. I am…"

He was not allowed to finish the sentence as Shishio swiftly raised his hand signaling Hoji to stop. They could make out two voices, mingled together, making their way towards the room. Shishio looked at Hoji, "it's Kaoru. I don't want to worry her Hoji; we will finish this conversation later."

"But Shishio, this is important!"

"I realize that, but I refuse to let her get drawn into all this. It is an issue we may discuss at length, but now is not the time for it." He had barely finished when the shoji flew open, and Kaoru appeared. She smiled at her father's councillor and laughed for joy as she saw Shishio seated at the table. She ran into the room, and throwing her arms around his neck, exclaimed, "Da! I'm so happy you're back, I've missed you so badly, oh you have no idea, and how did it go? What did you do? Is everything all right at the frontier? Tell me everything!"

Shishio laughed. Kamatari who had silently come in after Kaoru smiled at the scene unfolding before him. He glanced over at Shishio and felt a tug within his breast. Each time he saw him, he felt it would be easier but it wasn't. It wasn't easy to lie to one self again and again. He was resigned to the situation but that didn't necessarily make things simpler for him. Yes, he was in love with him. He was in love with the husband of his dead sister.

He had fallen for Shishio the moment he set his eyes on him. Standing like a grim statue on the outer parapet of the perimeter wall in their castle, he had waited to watch the man who had come forth to seek Yumi's hand. He remembered Yumi standing beside him, trying to get him to speak to her. Since he'd found that she was to be married, Kamatari had thrown a fit. She was his prized sister, how dare their parents send her off with just anyone! He would see this Shishio Makoto before letting her get married to him. He wanted to see the idiot who presumed he was good enough for Yumi. No one was good enough for her, no one!

It was funny how one moment changed all that. The wind was blowing wildly that day; Shishio's hair was tied back in a high ponytail, in the fashion of a warrior. As a stray strand of hair whipped around his face, he shrugged his shoulder and tossed his head up to look straight at Kamatari. He had needed just one glance and he was lost. The royal contingent passed through the gates in the wall, yet Kamatari remained rooted to the spot. He never spoke a word all the while that Shishio was there, not even when he came to him to formally ask him if he had any objection to his suit.

He never told anyone about his feelings; they wouldn't understand and why should they? A man falling in love with another man was rare enough, and this was his brother-in-law for crying out loud. In order to stay away from Shishio, he demanded assignments that took him to the frontiers for months. In fact, during the years that Yumi was married to Shishio, Kamatari never once ventured to the Imperial City. He came only when Yumi was on her deathbed, to promise that he would stand by Shishio, he would not let him drown in sorrow and that he would take care of her daughter. He had been twenty-one then, and Kaoru had been seven.

And he had still not spoken a word of his true feelings to anyone, let alone Shishio. But he had become a pillar of support for him, Shishio trusted him with Kaoru, and that was the biggest proof of trust and affection he could have given him. They had a strange relationship, him and Kaoru. He was her brother, her guardian angel, her worst enemy, her best friend and uncle. He had taught her the basics of sword fighting before she deserted him and took up Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, he had watched over her with Shishio when she ran fevers, and he had been the one Kaoru came to first, if and when she had problems.

He had taught Kaoru her first pranks; they used to take great pleasure in making Hoji's life miserable. It all seemed so long ago now. He sometimes felt as if the beautiful young woman that Kaoru had grown up to be was not the little monster he had chased around the palace. Yet, at other times, it felt as if time stood still as they would be in each other's presence and out of nowhere start giggling over some long forgotten memory.

Shishio noticed Kamatari standing there watching them with a faraway expression on his face. He nudged Kaoru and raised his eyebrows, tilting his head elegantly towards Kamatari.

"What's happened to your partner-in-crime, Kaoru?"

"I don't think Kamatari intends to eat today Da. Maybe he's trying to lose weight." Kaoru mischievously whispered in Shishio's ear. Shishio snorted. Shishio looked at Kamatari and saw that the man was still lost in his own thoughts. He glanced at Kaoru and winked. Gently untangling himself from his daughter's embrace, he shifted a bit so that his hand reached across the table. He waved his hand theatrically in front of his face, but it evoked no reaction. Shishio looked back at Kaoru, wearing a puzzled expression. He swiftly clicked his fingers in front of Kamatari's face and accosted him when he jerked back into focus. "What were you thinking of, that's so engrossing Kamatari? Or is this some disease that's slowly spreading amongst all my men?"

Kamatari looked startled. He brushed off an imaginary piece of lint from his sleeves and looked up smiling. "Oh I was merely thinking about a very lovely chat I had with your daughter this morning. Perhaps she would like to tell you about it, ne Kaoru?"

Shishio turned to look at Kaoru just in time to see a rosy blush spread over her features. Kaoru…blushing, Hoji looking like his cat died, Kamatari lost with his head in the clouds…what the hell had happened while he was away! Why was everyone in his household acting so strange? He looked pointedly at Kamatari, when Kaoru positively refused to meet his eyes, "what the blazes is going on Kamatari? I've never seen you two act like this. If this is another prank you're trying to pull, I…"

"No, nothing of that sort. Really Shishio, I'm hurt. Is that what you think of me. Would I ever trick you", Shishio raised his eyebrow, "now don't start thinking of that incident with horse three years ago, that was a mistake I tell you! Anyhow, we were talking about birthday presents how this year Kaoru would much rather prefer a…."

He never finished the sentence. Kaoru broke in hurriedly, "Da! Don't listen to him! It's not like what he's saying. I really do want a husband; really, I'm not interested in women, no matter what he says!"

"…a horse. But, I suppose she's changed her mind again." Kamatari smirked, a victorious smile gracing his features. "Yes, you better go fetch her a husband now Shishio". Kaoru looked at him in a wounded manner before getting angry and glaring at him. She slowly straightened up and began to eat. For the remainder of the meal, none of her table companions could elicit a word out of her. She quickly finished and excused herself, poking her tongue out at Kamatari as she left.

Shishio waited till she was out of the room before he demanded an explanation from Kamatari. "Kamatari, what's going on?"

"Nothing, like I told you. Relax will you, I was just teasing her and she fell for it. Nothing to worry yourself about." He sighed as Shishio kept looking at him inquisitively. "I was pestering her about men, she said she wasn't interested in them so I countered saying I'll talk to you about finding her a woman instead, there! Now you know it all – satisfied?"

It was Shishio's turn to smirk and look victorious. "Yes Kamatari, I'm satisfied. And now", he turned to Hoji who looked as though he was going to burst if he didn't speak now, "what do have to tell me?"

"Our spies have returned. Hiko isn't moving his armies, he's not evacuating villages at the borders, and he's doing nothing! There's been no aggression, no cockiness on the part of the border guards from Kutoe, no infiltration, absolutely nothing! For all thought and purposes, our frontier is well-sealed, and there appears to be nothing wrong!" Hoji ended his rant. He was waving his hands, and looked flustered. Kamatari and Shishio quickly exchanged glances. Kamatari idly traced patterns on the tabletop before speaking, "then what's the problem?"

"What's the problem? What's the problem! You mean to tell me you don't realize! He's testing our patience! He's toying with us…three weeks of intense surveillance yet still, nothing! Not a trace, not a whiff of what his plans are for Kutoe, not a single peasant in the street, not a noble from a palace has any idea what is going to happen…he isn't going to leave us but knowing nothing makes our task almost impossible to bear!"

Shishio silently listened, his arms folded across his chest. Beside him, Kamatari spoke in a grave tone, "calm down Hoji. If Hiko wants to make this a test of patience, then we will wait for him. And when he finally comes, he will not find the fight easy."

"Your Majesty?" Hoji waited for his king to speak. Kamatari's words had soothed him, no doubt about that. He knew that Shishio kept him in high regard, but he needed to hear the same from his king. Only Shishio's word would assure him that Konan would be all right. That his people would remain as free as he been since the day this kingdom was established. Shishio looked up and smiled. "Good work Hoji. At least now we know what to be wary of. Take some rest. You must be tired."

Hoji bowed and made his way out of the room. Shishio turned to Kamatari, "well, what do you make of this? It's not like him to get so flustered." Kamatari swirled the water in his cup and set it down before speaking.

"He's scared. It's natural to be scared of something you can't see. The unseen foe is always more deadly than the seen enemy, precisely because he is not visible to you, you cannot predict his next move. We are fighting an enemy that is guarded and hidden from our vision. We need to be alert. Hiko will use any advantage he can, that man is ruthless. He needs to be."

"I don't know so much about how ruthless he needs to be, but you're right, our enemy is unseen so all the more worrisome for us."

A long silence stretched between the two men, yet strangely it accentuated their closeness, not any distance. Kamatari waited or Shishio to speak again. Shishio turned away from the window finally, and beckoned him to closer. Clasping his shoulder, Shishio whispered in Kamatari's ear, "Send for him. Tell him I want them both in the palace by this week's end. There is no more time to spare."

Kamatari's eyes widened as he looked into Shishio's eyes, sudden comprehension dawning in them. "You mean…."

"Yes, I need him here, this war won't end easily, in fact I don't even know whether it will end with my death or not, and in the event that I die, I will need him here to take care…of you and of Kaoru."

Kamatari furiously shoved Shishio away. "What the fuck! I can take care of myself, Shishio! I'm the best goddamn general you have! And Kaoru is _my_ responsibility and I will be dead before someone tries to take her from me!"

"Kamatari, try to understand, I'm not denying…"

"Not denying what Shishio! I'm not a child! I haven't been one for ten years! Ten years! Ever since Yumi died, I've been here, with you, for you, can't you see that? Don't you get it! My whole life has been here! With you! When will you wake up and…" He stopped. He was shaking. Damnation, he had almost told him. He had come this close to telling him and ruining everything. He turned away, trembling with fear and fury. How dare he presume, how dare he!

Shishio stared at him. He was stunned to say the least. Was this really the carefree Kamatari he knew? Kamatari never got angry, never lost his cool. He had never seen the younger man get upset like this. He could understand where it was coming from though, Kamatari was very protective with regards to Kaoru but still, he needed to understand. He was just trying to keep his family safe. What was so wrong in that? They were his responsibility and he would never forgive himself if he could have done something to protect them better and he didn't.

What on earth was wrong with the lad? He possessed sass enough for the entire kingdom on most days and yet today...He would never understand him. Kamatari, or Taro as Yumi, and now Kaoru called him, had been a stranger to Shishio for most of his married life. He never came to visit them; he was always patrolling the borders, involved in defending against northern hostilities. Yumi had once told him that Taro had a death wish, he didn't want to live which is why he gambled so heavily on his life.

But Yumi's death changed all that.

_Shishio had not sent him word; he had not known where to send it. But Taro had found out on his own and so one day when Shishio was looking out towards the city, a rider entered the palace, galloping at full speed. Shishio immediately came down to the gates, hoping against hope that everything was all right. He would not, he could not leave Yumi today but his heart stopped when he saw who the rider was. Kamatari strode towards him, and without preamble, asked, "Where is she, Shishio? Where's my sister?"_

_He remembered taking him to her. An hour later when he emerged, his face was deathly pale, and his hands were cold. "She wants to see you and…Kaoru" Shishio started, only to be held back by Kamatari who looked into his eyes and spoke, "she has very little time now, I'm sorry." Shishio jerked his arm away and rushed inside. Leaving behind Kaoru, who immediately cornered the stranger. She looked up at him with her bright eyes and asked, "Who are you?"_

_Kamatari knelt down and looked at her. "I am your uncle."_

"_My uncle?"_

"_Yes"_

"_How come I've never seen you before?"_

"_I've been away, far away."_

"_Why? Didn't you miss us?"_

"_Aye, little minxlette I did. That's why I've come back"_

"_Are you going to leave again?"_

_Kamatari studied the little girl standing in front of him; he could make out small similarities to Yumi in her face. This was his niece._

"_No, I'm not going to leave."_

"_Ever?" The child asked breathlessly. _

"_Ever. I will never leave you…Kaoru. This I promise you." Kaoru smiled and gently hugged him. "I'm glad. I like you, and you're just like Mama said you would be…Taro."_

Kamatari still refused to look at him, facing away; Shishio moved forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, only to be shaken off angrily by him. He whirled around to face him.

"Very well Your Majesty. I shall call for him immediately. However, Kaoru remains under my guardianship. This is a right my sister gave me, and no one, not you, nor your prized warrior is taking that away from me." He gave a curt nod to Shishio and stormed out of the room. A few corners and a couple of hallways later, he stopped. He covered his eyes with his hand as he leaned against the wall, and slid down to the floor. That bastard! Wasn't it enough that he was in love with him that he also had to act as if he was his mother! Couldn't he see how hard it was to see him everyday, to smile, and laugh as if it didn't matter that his heart broke into a thousand pieces each time that bastard smiled. To stand with him, spar with him occasionally, to be held in an embrace that meant nothing but a filial affection, even as his blood coursed with the thrill of being held by Shishio. But it never happened. That recognition never came. Shishio never saw the love, the need in his eyes, never heard the lament in his voice…never. Kamatari sobbed violently, his despair was pouring out and he didn't care to stem it in.

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_Kutoe_

Hiko turned on his heel and walked away. He had no time to deal with Kenshin's infantile rage and his juvenile infatuation with Tomoe Yukishiro. He had enough on his plate without bothering over the kind of women his bakadeshi took delight in. Honestly! You would think the little brat would be grateful for his advice. What did he know about women anyway? It was frustratingly annoying to watch him squander away precious time on a woman who sought for nothing but to swallow him whole. He had known enough women of Tomoe's ilk to understand her completely. Tomoe was the sort of person who wanted to own the very soul of the man she was with. Nothing less than everything would do. She would wait and bide her time, giving into your demands, but holding herself in. She would never show her true face to the man she thought herself to be in love with but would expect him to surrender everything to her.

Hiko shook his head. He could not help Kenshin unless he wanted his help. He stopped and looked down into the courtyard below him, and saw Sano, Aoshi and his bakadeshi talking. Well, ok, Sano was talking and the twin masks of Disinterest and Disapproval, that were Kenshin and Aoshi, were listening. Sano was animatedly making gestures and by the looks of it trying to convince the other two into something. He wasn't succeeding if the scene was anything to go by, Kenshin was straying glances at Enishi whenever he could and Aoshi had escaped inside his shell, looking stony faced. Hiko smirked. So, they were up to something were they? He chuckled. Maybe it was time to have some fun, after all he had been working so hard, ordering Aoshi around, making training miserable for Kenshin, scaring the living daylights out of Katsura and the rest of his Council, he deserved some entertainment. Hiko drummed his fingers on the wooden fencing of the balcony.

Now…what could he do? Hiko was still contemplating possible ways to pass his time when Kenshin moved and the sheath of his katana, black ebony engraved with a pattern of bamboo leaves and twigs in silver, shone suddenly, catching the sunlight on the silver. Hiko smirked. It had been nearly a week since he had last sparred with Kenshin. He had been too busy and the baka had gotten off easy by fighting the captains in his army. All of them impressive swordsmen, but devoid of any challenge to Kenshin. Perhaps it was time to remind him, that his competition was with him, Hiko Seijuro, the Lighting Emperor of the North, not some puny soldier in the infantry. He glanced at a guard standing to his left, and ordered him to send the three young men to the Jade Dojo immediately. The guard stammered some submissive reply and ran off to fetch the Heir Apparent, and his two companions to the dojo.

Hiko's smile grew wider as he saw their respective reactions to his summons. Aoshi hung his head in resignation, Sano peppered off a colorful retort but Kenshin…a smile that mirrored the smile on his own face spread across his features. He swung to the side and purposefully strode to the stairs, leading to the East Wing where the Jade Dojo was situated, he took the steps two at a time, leaving Aoshi and Sano behind. The two had no intention of getting there soon. Hiko calling them to the dojo could mean only one thing. That he was bored and wanted to spar. Hiko disinterested and preoccupied was bad enough, but Hiko bored and focused upon them for his recreation was simply terrible. He would rip them apart and they really didn't want to face that right now.

Sano kept muttering curses under his breath, Aoshi hadn't even heard of some of them. Each they met, it seemed as though he not only learnt new curses but also invented them. By the time they reached the dojo, Kenshin was standing in the middle of the floor, his black haori abandoned at the entrance. He was dressed in a midnight blue gi and black hakama. He looked up as his cousin and friend ambled in, raising his eyebrows at the expressions on their face.

"What's with the long faces? Who died?"

Sano snorted and Aoshi simply rolled his eyes. They wanted to be anywhere but here. Sano walked past Kenshin and sat down on a cushion on the other side of the room. He dragged a hand through his hair and sighed. "Damn it! I knew we shouldn't have been standing around for everyone to see. I told you to clear out of the palace while we had the chance but nooooooo….you guys just had to stand around and chitchat while His Horrific Highness was prowling around. Oh don't even dare give me that look Kenshin! You were too busy looking around looked for that moony broad of yours and now we're stuck here! "

"Aw just shut it, Sano! What's the big deal anyway? Shishou wants to spar, and I, being the ideal deshi that I am," Kenshin smirked, "cannot refuse him. Don't worry; we'll leave after a while, alright?"

Sano stared at him incredulously, slowly a smile inched across his face and he laughed, "Bullshit! Who the hell do you think you're tripping Kenshin? This is Hiko we're talking about. Not one of those infantry idiots you cut into smithereens."

"So? So what if it's Hiko? I can handle him."

"Oh you can handle him. Riiiiiiight. Look pal! You'll handle Hiko Seijuro the day I enter a monastery!"

Aoshi heard Hiko's footfalls outside. He quickly gestured for the two to be quiet. Hiko strode in with a flourish. There was a spring in his step and a smirk on his face. He tossed his large, white cloak to Aoshi as he walked past, making his way to the centre where Kenshin already stood. His sword was resting on his shoulder, as he looked at each of them in turn.

"Sano! Come forward!"

"Me! Why should go first! I didn't even wanna be here in the first place!"

Kenshin frowned irritably and moved off the wooden floor to join Aoshi by the door. As Sano's muttering continued, both the swordsmen rolled their eyes and wished he would shut up and fight and not risk getting them in any more trouble than they already were in.

Sano evidently heard the silent plea of his friends because he took his stance and focused completely on Hiko. His breathing grew steady as he forced himself into a battle ready position. He was not a swordsman, but Hiko knew that and wouldn't fight him with a sword…or would he? That was the entire trouble, you could never tell with Hiko. What that man thought, he kept to himself. Always. He knew he'd have to make the first move; he really had no delusions about that. Hiko could stand as still as a statue for hours and not be bothered, if he waited for him to make a move, they'd be here all week.

Sano lunged forward shooting his fist out in an impressive move…had it connected with its target perhaps it would have achieved something but Hiko simply stepped aside and pushed Sano from behind. Combined with the momentum he had already generated, Hiko's push sent Sano flying into the opposite wall. Aoshi winced as Sano slammed into the wall, cracking the boarding. Sano picked himself up and returned with a fiery air about him. Again and again he lunged at Hiko, each time defeated by Hiko, who nimbly danced around him, never once making contact except to thrash him.

And so it continued, till Hiko tired of his little game and sent Sano away. He next called on Aoshi. The tall ninja silently stepped on to the floor and positioned himself for attack, his twin kodachi in his hands. Aoshi waited for a full minute before launching his attack, running full speed at Hiko, he suddenly jumped and somersaulted over Hiko's head, twirling around and swinging his twin swords back when he landed. Hiko was surprised by the unconventional attack but he realized Aoshi's plan, and swung quickly around to block the attack. He then thrust his sword forward towards Aoshi's chest but was blocked when Aoshi trapped his katana between the kodachi. Hiko smiled and jerked the katana out. Both men drew back a couple of paces; Aoshi narrowed his eyes and struck again and again, each time being deflected by Hiko's katana.

Kenshin watched rapt with attention from the sidelines. Aoshi was _good_. He had never seen anyone, apart from himself; give such trouble to his master. Kenshin felt a keen sense of kinship with Aoshi. They should spar more often. It wasn't often that he met swordsmen of this caliber. Now they matching blow for blow but Aoshi was leaving his left side wide open, it was only a matter of time before Shishou noticed and…too late. Hiko had rammed the tsuka of his katana into Aoshi's side forcing him to buckle and lose his balance for a moment, which was all that Hiko needed to swing his sword and bring it to rest a centimeter away from Aoshi's neck.

Aoshi looked up at Hiko, panting slightly. Hiko withdrew his blade and sheathed it. He then offered a hand to Aoshi, pulling him to his feet before locking eyes with Kenshin and beckoning him forward. Aoshi walked back to the edge of the dojo, he calmly took his cloak back from a gaping Sanosuke and sat down.

Kenshin faced his master and made a very correct bow. Hiko could be a stickler for proper conduct at times, interestingly; those times most often sprang up where Kenshin was concerned. Kenshin straightened and looked at the form of his emperor. His emperor. Hiko was and had always been his emperor first, his master second. Their relationship was the strained relationship born of necessity between a liege lord and his best fighter. Neither could do without the other but neither could they remain in each other's presence without the atmosphere turning bitter in a small amount of time.

If there had ever been a time when Hiko had been affectionate towards him, he did not remember it. His first memory of him was from his childhood. He had been born in an obscure far-flung province; apparently his father had been severely out of favour with the Lightning Emperor. But when he was killed in a skirmish with rebels on the southern borders, Hiko had sent for him. The caravan he was with had scarcely left the limits of the province when bandits attacked them. Kenshin saw his guards hacked down in front of him. The bandits who stood leering at him surrounded him, some mocking the strange color of his hair, others staring at him with hungry eyes; he had after all always been a striking, beautiful child. The fear of some unknown danger from these bandits forced him into action, he picked up the sword of one of his fallen guards and stood, facing them. The bandits laughed, the chief among them started walking towards him, when a blur of white and red streamed across, and the man was dead. As the others ran towards him, swords drawn out, the blur returned and he knew no more. When he came to, he was lying on a luxurious seat inside a plush carriage and in front of him sat the biggest man he had ever seen…wearing a cloak of white and red.

His life had effectively turned upside down since then. He was brought to the Imperial Palace, and for the next ten years would never set foot outside it. His days were divided between lessons and training. Life would have been miserable indeed if Sano and Aoshi hadn't burst into it. When Hiko took him as his heir he had been perplexed. Why would he choose him when he obviously cared nothing about him? For all the years he had spent in the palace, he had never been close to Hiko. Hiko did not allow anyone to come close to him. Kenshin had simply stopped trying; he was defeated by Hiko's lack of understanding and apathy. The surveillance had begun little after he was named Heir Apparent, Aoshi and Sano were sent away to be trained. Those years of loneliness and solitude taught him one important thing, to be emperor meant to be alone, to be cold and calculating. For that was what Hiko was – alone. He had spent his entire life making people dance to his tune, forcing them to accept his terms or the might of his sword. In return he gained respect, fear, awe, and hatred.

Kenshin shut his eyes. Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth. His Master. His Nemesis. He was ready. Hiko slipped into a battle ready position. Kenshin opened his eyes and noted the stance, so, Shishou would attack first. He quickly moved his feet, ready. The two men stared at each for what felt like a lifetime to Sanosuke. He was getting fidgety. Then, without a warning, what looked like two blurs, one white and one blue-black raced towards each other. The clash of metal against metal, the glint of the blades and the two blurs that were Kenshin and Hiko was all that they could see. They attacked again and again, Hiko throwing Kenshin off if he got too close and Kenshin battling with every reflex awake to counter.

Kenshin shoved the flat of his blade against Hiko's chest pushing him away then back flipped into the air when Hiko swung on one foot and brought his blade too close for comfort. Several paces away from Hiko, Kenshin looked at him and exclaimed, "So, now you're resorting to cheating, that's not allowed and you know it."

"Bakadeshi! Are you going to stop in the midst of battle and whine like an imbecile? Fight like warrior and if you can't, join Katsura and become a pencil pushing bureaucrat!" Kenshin gave a roar of rage and almost flew towards Hiko, his sword cutting an arc that Hiko stopped just in time. Sano and Aoshi glanced at each other worriedly. This didn't seem like sparring anymore. It was as if they were trying to kill each other. Suddenly, everything stopped. Aoshi blinked. Kenshin lay on the ground looking stunned. Hiko was kneeling over him, gently brushing strands of hair out of his eyes.

He shook his shoulder vigorously,"Kenshin, hey baka are you going to lie there all day?"

"No. No Shishou. What move was that? I've never seen it before"

"That's because I haven't taught it to you yet, baka! I would if you start taking training seriously. The next time I catch you skipping practice to run after some kimono, I won't be so gentle", having said that, Hiko glided over to Sano who was holding his cloak, shrugging it on, he turned towards the three, "that was pathetic. I don't know where you two are gaining such a deadly reputation. It sure doesn't convince me. You obviously haven't been spending enough time training". He walked to the door and paused when he got there, glancing back he looked around the dojo, "I want this mess cleaned up before you leave, got that?"

"Hai". Aoshi quipped. Sano rolled his eyes, "that was _gentle_, if that was gentle I wonder what screwed would be. Well, what are you two waiting for, let's go now before he comes and decides to beat the crap out of us all over again."

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"Sano! Wait, where are you going? Sano!" Aoshi yelled as loudly as he could. Sano was swaying to the tune of a song only he could ear as he zigzagged across the narrow lane. Aoshi sighed and turned towards Kenshin who had suddenly found something very interesting in an empty mule cart and stood there trying to draw it into conversation. Aoshi clutched his head. What had he gotten into? They had found some servants to clear up the mess in the dojo and skipped out to a place Sano knew. The place ended up being one of the dozens of obscure drinking dens of the city that served extremely potent sake. He had stopped after three cups but Kenshin and Sano drank like there was no tomorrow. Sano dared Kenshin to drink more than he, and Kenshin recently put down by Hiko, and assured by Aoshi's presence went ahead and accepted. Now he was saddled with two very drunk, very stubborn idiots who seemed hell bent on turning this situation into a nightmare.

Kenshin giggled. Aoshi whipped around, incredulous. He walked up to him and firmly shook him by the shoulders, "this isn't funny Kenshin! Snap out of it! Look here, it's late, we have to get back to the palace and find Sano before that, you got that?"

Kenshin opened his eyes wide and then nodded enthusiastically, "yes, find Sano! The bastard took off with my sake!"

"No, no, that's not what I meant, no more sake! You're drunk, u moron, u both are!"

"No more sake? What are you talking? I want sake!"

"There is no more sake, the sake is all gone."

"Gone? Where's the sake gone? Why is it gone? I want sake!" Kenshin screamed into Aoshi's ear. Aoshi ducked trying to save his eardrum from splitting. Kenshin wriggled out of his grasp and started running down the lane in the direction that Sano had taken. Aoshi gasped. And promptly started running after him. He found them both a few minutes later. They were perched high up on a wall, fighting over the last bottle of sake. Aoshi cursed. He dragged himself to the wall, bit out the words, "You two, get down here, now!"

Kenshin and Sano looked at each other as if they didn't understand and looked back at Aoshi expectantly. Sano asked timidly, "But why, Aoshi?"

"Why! Do you have brains or sand in that thick skull of yours, I said come down here! NOW!" Not used to Aoshi bellowing, the two quickly scrambled off and stood before him. Aoshi shoved them apart, and then stood between them himself; he linked his arms with theirs and set them off at a brisk pace towards the palace. Sano leaned against him and Kenshin started poking his arm with one finger. Aoshi groaned. But the worst was yet to come. As they turned the last corner they found themselves in an abandoned square where a bunch of straggly musicians were tuning their instruments. Sano let out a shout and ran towards them dragging Aoshi and Kenshin along.

Once he reached them, he brought the musicians together in a huddle and the whole lot of them whispered amongst themselves while Aoshi and Kenshin stood awkwardly away from the charmed circle. Sano presently came back and caught Kenshin by the lapel of his gi, "Say Kenshin, didn't you mention Megumi was here as well?"

"Yeah, sure did, why?" Kenshin mumbled into the air. Sano leapt in the air and gathered the bedraggled band about him again. A few gesticulations and a lot of coin transferring later, the band set off, led by Sano in a single file. Aoshi almost gagged, "Sano you good for nothing piece of shit! Where do you think you're going now?"

"Awww, you'll see"

"Sano, no! No, I will not stand for this, Sano! We are not doing this! Fuck man! Aren't you tired yet?"

"Errr…. NO! C'mon men! Step it up, one two three one two three! Oi Kenshin, buck up!" Aoshi watched them get in line and march off god knows where with a sinking feeling. Something told him they were going to be in deep trouble tonight, very deep. Cursing Sano, Kenshin and sake in that order, he joined the line and followed.

After what seemed a kilometer of maze like streets and city squares they entered, rather sneaked into an area adjoining the palace. Aoshi recognized this place as many of the nobles kept houses in this street. The sinking feeling grew, and kept growing till he realized what exactly Sano intended to do. Aoshi cursed, remembering every last new curse Sano had muttered that day. The freaking idiot was stationed bang in front of Genzai's house. He was a healer and also, more importantly, Megumi Takani's legal guardian. Aoshi cringed with the fear of what would happen next as he saw Sano and the musicians ready themselves and then…without warning Sano began to sing a love ballad in the most god-awful voice he had ever heard. The drunken slurring of the words and his too-loud voice ruined whatever last shred of hope Aoshi had of reaching the palace safe and sound.

Aoshi sank to the sidewalk to find Kenshin sitting beside him, watching Sano incredulously as he sat cross-legged with his chin propped in his hand. Yes, it was going to be a long night, a very long night.

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End of Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** Liked it? Hated it? Please review and let me know, if there is some aspect of the story you want elaborated, please tell me!

Again, Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, you guys are the best!

**Japanese translations**

**Haori** – outer coat worn over gi.

**Gi** – upper garment worn by men.

**Hakama** – samurai pants. Worn by other classes as well, Kaoru wears one to practice.

**Tsuka** – the hilt of the sword.


	4. Preparations and Confrontations!

**A BIG 'Thank You' to Vidya, my beta reader who got the ball rolling for this fic again, and who did not spoil the manga for me. Thanks!**

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: **Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form. Waaaaaaa…. Pass the Kleenex box.

**Rating**: T for language, violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 4: Preparations and Confrontations!**

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_**Konan**_

Taro hadn't been around for four days. She hadn't heard from him or seen him since their breakfast together the day they had sparred. Kaoru was missing him. She set off at a brisk pace towards the outer courtyards of the palace. As she made her way to the perimeter wall of the palace, the preparations for war were in full swing. The forge was blazing, blacksmiths and sword smiths were hard at work, fashioning and polishing blades and other arms. Soldiers were reinforcing gates with extra boards. Huge vats of oil were carefully placed at strategic locations all along the wall. Soldiers were plastering the outer stretch of the wall with tar. Thick coats of tar were slathered onto the wall, followed by rusty iron nails stuck head first into the tar. This was to deter the attacking army from entering the premises of the palace should the city be breached. Though it would make little difference, it would buy enough time for the remaining force to flee or unite for a final, desperate fight.

Kaoru felt overwhelmed at the number of men in arms, the drills, the giant catapults and the entire hustle bustle. She nudged Ko out of the courtyard rather hastily. She looked up; soldiers were stationed at an interval of twenty paces on the parapet. Squinting into the sun, she spotted a face she knew and called out.

"Captain! Captain Katsu!"

A young, attractive man with a captain's insignia engraved on the brooch pinned into his cloak turned around. His face broke into an enthusiastic smile as he observed the girl who had called him. He made his way down to Kaoru and bowed gallantly when he reached her. "Greetings, your majesty. To what do I owe this great honor?"

"Really Captain, must you address me this way? We've known each other since we were children."

"Ahhh…but that was a different time. Anyhow, what can I do for you?" The captain made no attempt to mask his appreciation of her. Kaoru ignored his eager eyes and simply asked, "Have you met the General today? I've been looking for him for days".

"General Kamatari is at the city borders. He's supervising the construction of the moat. He should be back today."

"The city borders…thank you for your trouble Captain. I will leave you to your duties now."

"Anytime, your highness. After all, I live to serve you."

Kaoru ignored the last sentence and swiftly ran Ko out of the gates. Truth be told, she was shaken by the frenzied mood inside the palace. She knew what was going on, she wasn't stupid. She knew the reason why Taro and Da would suddenly grow quiet as she approached. Why Councilor Hoji was looking paler with every passing day, why laughter was slowly being replaced by grimness. War was coming. It was in the air, it ran with the movement of the soldiers as they performed their katas, the thrust of the katanas into the air. Each one envisioning an enemy who was coming to destroy their country, their homes, their very existence. She knew this but somehow it had never seemed real. War had always loomed over Konan, but Da always managed to quell it. But this time, things were different.

This time, Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth would not be content with a mere border skirmish. He was moving in for Konan itself. Kaoru slowed Ko down to a trot. For the first time in her entire life, Kaoru was mortally afraid. Konan was going to war. War. Bloodshed. Death. Killing. She blinked. She really had to stop thinking like this. Fear always made things worse. Fear was for cowards and she was no coward. A sudden memory flooded her senses. Something Taro had told her after a bad dream. He had said, a little fear is a good thing, because it showed that you had something to be afraid for. That something was precious to you that you would hurt and be in pain if it were lost, that fear would arouse every instinct to fight. To keep that which was beautiful, worthy and precious to you.

She raised her head and looked back the way she had come. She was standing on slightly higher ground; most of the city was visible. She looked; people were scurrying along the streets, busy with their lives, oblivious to the danger that lay waiting across the borders. They were her people, her responsibility. They were hers to fight for, to protect and to cherish. Kaoru nodded, as if she had reached a decision somewhere deep within herself. Then, she calmly reined Ko forward, towards the city borders.

She reached almost an hour later. Exhausted, yet infused with a new energy, she looked around for Kamatari. A huge moat had been dug all around the perimeter wall. Great wooden spikes jutted out here and there from the moat out till a hundred feet. These were placed haphazardly to slow the enemy down. Across the moat, the perimeter wall rose steeply out of the ground. The wall was practically impenetrable; it had been fashioned out of cut boulders of solid rock. Kaoru slowly walked up the steps leading to the battlement. She spotted Kamatari standing a little away. He was staring off into the distance, looking north. He nodded at her, acknowledging her presence.

She stood behind him, silently watching the activity around the moat. Her consternation was evident, her ki was screaming out. Kamatari glanced at her. "What's on your mind, minxlette?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing." Kamatari drew a long breath.

"Minx, you're one of those few people who have never thought nothing at any stage of their lives. What is it?" He looked pointedly at her. Kaoru looked away.

"I...I…just…feel as if I've woken up from a dream."

Kamatari turned around to face her. He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…war is here, finally. All these years, war…was just another word. You and Da were always talking about defense, fortification, and things like that but I never felt as if I would ever see it. Here, in Konan, in my own home. I had just never thought it would happen…and now…these spikes, the moat…everything." Kaoru's eyes swept over the moat, the workers now busily digging holes to stick more spikes into the bed of the moat. Kamatari stepped forward and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It's alright to feel overwhelmed, Kaoru. Everyone does."

"Perhaps." They stood in silence. Kaoru glanced towards Kamatari. Something was amiss. Kamatari was never this quiet, regardless of the situation. She looked up at his face and took his hand. "Taro…what made you leave like this? You didn't even tell me you were leaving; you've never done that before. Is there something bothering you, something you're not telling me?"

A muscle twitched near his lip. "Why do you think that?"

"You're acting really strange. Taro…tell me."

"It's nothing." He moved away, jerking his hand away from hers. Kaoru's eyes widened. She was taken aback. Something was definitely wrong.

"Taro! What happened? What's wrong? Was it something Da said?" Kamatari flinched and briskly walked away, Kaoru following closely on his heels. "What is it, why won't you tell me? Did he say something…or…was it something he didn't say…"

Kamatari froze. He slowly turned around and looked at Kaoru. "What, what are you trying to say?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You…you love him, don't you?" His lips parted and he looked like a startled deer. He bent his head and stared at the ground. Nervously he began to bite his lower lip; while he furiously searched his mind for something he could tell Kaoru to throw her off. Something, anything! He jerked when he felt her hands on his face.

"Kaoru…"

She smiled. "Did you think I didn't know? Taro, I've known for a very long time. I don't know when it was exactly that I realized, but I've known. And I loved you all the more for it." She touched his forehead with her own. "You should tell him. He needs to know."

Kamatari laughed a dry, bitter laugh. He drew his face away and looked at her. "Do you know why I'm here? Your father doesn't think I'm capable to look after myself, let alone protect you. I am here to welcome his precious right hand, so he can take over command and look after us. And you want me to tell him." He laughed again. Kaoru frowned.

"Taro, there's no connection between the two. Da cares for you, loves you even, in his own fashion. Do you think you mean so little to him? And anyway, what does that have to do with you telling him how you feel?"

"It has everything to do with it. He won't understand, hell, I've loved him for a lifetime and I still don't understand, how am I supposed to make him understand?"

"Taro…"

"No. It's best this way. Kaoru, promise you won't tell him anything."

"That's not fair, Taro, you can't have everything your way."

"I need your word, you won't tell him"

"I am doing no such thing."

"Your word, Kaoru." Kaoru frowned and crossly clenched her fists. But Kamatari wasn't about to change his mind. She sighed. "Fine. I won't tell him, I give you my word, you happy now?"

"Thank you."

"Humph. Don't thank me. You're always getting your way, it's not fair."

Kamatari smiled for the first time in days. He slung an arm around Kaoru's shoulders and gently tugged at her ear, "don't sulk minxlette, you know I hate it."

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A solitary sentinel stood at a watchtower at ten miles from the capital of Konan. The watchtower was built a little distance away from the crossroads where the trade routes to the north and west merged and then drifted away, each in its own direction. Standing proud and tall, it was the duty of the sentinel to watch over the roads and raise the alarm in case of attack. And so he stood, watching the roads, the traders had passed not two days ago, they were already at the capital by now, the crops were about to be harvested soon, in another month. Then the Harvest festival and the rites of the ancestors would begin and Konan would drown in a sea of sake, laughter, mirth and merriment.

Yet the sentinel would remain here, watching, keeping an eye open so others may rest at ease. As he gazed out towards the road winding from the south, he noticed two specks, no larger than walnuts, far into the horizon. He squinted. Raising his hand to shield his eyes he spied the two specks again, they were followed by two dust clouds. Horsemen, probably on their way to the capital. They could be part of the army, but one could never be sure. Of late, significant numbers of ronin and mercenaries had been seen around trade posts and crossroads like this one.

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The sentinel was absolutely right. The two specks were indeed horsemen, but they were not ronin or mercenaries. The two had been riding for days. The older horseman looked every bit the part of a seasoned, weathered general. His face was etched with the evidence of many battles fought and won. The angles of his face and the unusual color of his eyes gave him a distinct air even amongst others of his prowess at combat. The ruthless nature of his art bespoke itself in his demeanor, and his feral smile, dangerous to those who saw it; it often silenced any argument before it was made.

His companion was a much younger man, almost twenty-four years of age. Bent from the exhausting ride spread over two days, his face was practically resting on the mane of his horse. He was built slightly, his lean body coiled with taut muscles honed to perfection by years of sword training. His long, black hair was contained at the back in a high ponytail. Tired as he was, he clutched the reins of the galloping stallion tightly in his hands, letting them lie slack meant certain death. Getting crushed under the hooves of his own stallion was not the way this young man wished to leave the world. As he bent once more, this time dangerously low, the older man caught his shoulder and steadied him.

The wind beating wildly in his face, and the dust swirling around, trying to get into his eyes and mouth, the man stared straight ahead. He could make out a faint outline of the watchtower. He pulled his lips into a rare genuine smile. The final sentinel before the capital, they had reached at last.

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As the day wound to a close, the men moved out of the dry moat. The last of the sharpened wooden spikes had been laid in the moat bed. When all the men were accounted for, the foreman gave a shrill whistle signaling the workers at the reservoir to release all the dammed water. The great cogs of wood operating the barricading wall of the reservoir were slowly turned. The barricade lifted and a deafening rush of water crashed down into the moat. In a matter of minutes, the entire city was surrounded with a moat, ten feet wide and ten feet deep. The drawbridge was lowered to let inside those who had been toiling at the moat all day.

Kaoru sat on an upturned barrel, stroking Ko's mane, while she waited for Kamatari. She was tired. She had no idea standing around giving orders could be this tiring. She yawned and wished she were back at the palace, in a warm bath, preferably strewn with rose petals. She smiled lazily at the mental picture. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the near commotion at the drawbridge. Two horsemen were to be let in.

Kamatari moved forward swiftly. He reached the drawbridge just as the travel-worn pair was entering the open courtyard beyond the bridge. The taller horseman stepped off his horse and looked around. His eyes swept over the preparations approvingly. As Kamatari came into view, he smirked. "Kamatari", he swept his eyes over him, "you look terrible."

"That's rich coming from you…Saitou."

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_**Kutoe**_

Kenshin glared at the rag on the floor. It had been four days since that wild drinking party, when he and Aoshi had wound up sitting on a pavement outside Dr. Genzai's house, with Sano screeching what was supposed to be a love song. His ears were still smarting from that awful racket. He only wondered how in the world Megumi had reined in her temper and stayed indoors while Genzai had sent out all his household staff to chase them away.

He winced as he remembered the servants running behind them with sticks even as Genzai screamed from inside, "get them all, don't let anyone escape! The scoundrels! The dirty little rats! I'll have them all thrown in the dungeons! I'll have them disgraced in court! Shameless vagabonds, gypsies, got nothing better to do then trouble respectable folk at night! Get them I say!"

The musicians they had picked up were apparently used to running away in a jiffy so they melted away into the streets leaving him, Aoshi and Sano to face the wrath of the doctor. He didn't how they got away but they managed it. It had been a sight to behold. Prince Kenshin, Lord Shinomori and Captain Sagara running as if heaven's dragons themselves were after them. He had never felt so embarrassed in his life. The palace guards had probably wet themselves laughing so hard. Damn it! He was going to kill Sano!

What made it worse was that Aoshi and Sano slunk away after the initial five courtyards where Sano's rooms were. Kenshin still had to go a long distance before he entered the interior palace where he stayed. He had hoped to slink past the guards, and not let anyone notice him but Hiko had known. And this, he looked down at the rag with which he was polishing the floor of the dojo, was his punishment. What a sight he was making! Kenshin Himura, the Crown Prince and heir to the Crystal Throne of Kutoe was polishing the floor of the palace dojo, with a dirty rag no less!

He cursed. Damn it! Trust Shishou to come up with the most humiliating punishments in the world. Kenshin threw the rag to one side with disgust and sat cross-legged on the floor. That had been a strange night. The drinking, the abandon with which they had roamed the streets and finally, the fiasco at Megumi's house. He grinned. Megumi must be furious. And Genzai, he had gone red in the face, bursting with boisterous indignation. Sano's ardour for Megumi, and her annoyance at it, was famous in the aristocratic circles of Kutoe. Sano had been making a complete fool of himself over her for years, since he had first seen her at court. The incident with the musicians could simply be added to a long list of things Sano had already done to win her over.

Just the memory of it stirred a numbing pain in his head. Kenshin suddenly grew pensive. That night, Shishou had been waiting for him in his room. Kenshin had been swaying, his senses dulled, his arm stretched out before him as if he were blind, trying to find his way to the bed. He banged his knee into a lacquered table and stumbled over it, he should have fallen, cutting his face on the pieces of glass on the floor, but he didn't. In that moment, Hiko had stepped forward and caught him. He felt a sense of weightlessness, as Hiko scooped him up in his arms and gently laid him on the bed. He then sat with him, not speaking a word.

"_Shishou…"_

"_Shut up. You're drunk. Look at yourself you can't even stand. If I were an assassin, you wouldn't have had a chance. I could have easily sliced you into tiny pieces before the first guard made it to your room. Why must you always act so foolishly?"_

"_Shishou."_

"_I don't even know why I bother with you…_"

He couldn't remember anything apart from this. Hiko had been his usual grumpy self but most importantly, he had acted as if he cared. He had never felt that before. Hiko had never once acted like this. Although, in the morning, it felt as though nothing had changed. Hiko had called all three of them and chewed them out for acting like buffoons. Sano received an extra tongue-lashing since Genzai had lost no time in complaining about the midnight orchestra that graced his house, courtesy Sanosuke Sagara. They were all given punishments for disturbing the peace. Thankfully, he hadn't gotten it in his head to announce the punishment in court. Sano was assigned to the stables, Aoshi was sent to the assist the cooks and Kenshin was told to polish the floor and mirrors of the dojo.

He snorted. He still had more than half the floor left. Kenshin got to his feet, angrily grabbed the rag from where he had flung it and got back on his hands and knees and started rubbing the floor, moving his hands counter clockwise till the spot under the rag shone, then he moved on. He had just about finished one side of the floor, when he heard someone's nettling laughter from the door. He turned around, scowling darkly.

Enishi Yukishiro leaned against the frame of the doorway, his lips twisted into a smirk. He held a ball of cork in his hand, which he periodically flung into the air and caught. "My, my, what a sight." He strode into the room; purposefully walking over the wooden floor that Kenshin had taken all afternoon to polish. Enjoying Kenshin's irritation, he flung himself against a wall, stretching out his left leg, supporting his right hand on his other leg, bent at the knee.

"Not bad, not bad at all. If the emperor decides to disown you, you can still find a job polishing floors Kenshin." Enishi drawled, his hand throwing and catching the ball rhythmically.

"Shut the fuck up." Enishi stopped his play and turned his eyes on Kenshin.

"Tsk, tsk, touched a raw nerve, have I? Never knew the crown prince would look so fetching polishing floors."

"Get out." Kenshin turned his back to Enishi, dismissing him.

"Hmm, you know Kenshin, you really ought to do something about that attitude. Never get anywhere with it." Enishi pushed himself off the floor, gently brushing imaginary pieces of lint from his shoulder. "Don't let me interrupt your chores, better hurry up and finish them before the emperor comes back to flog you."

Kenshin stiffened, his eyes grew dark and he whipped around. Faster than lightning, he caught Enishi by the throat and rammed him into the wall. Enishi's eyes widened and he clutched at Kenshin's fingers trying to pry them away from his throat. Kenshin merely narrowed his eyes and squeezed slightly, when his captive started to sputter, he let him go, watching him collapse on the floor, coughing violently. Kenshin just stood, watching him silently, before he bent and jerked Enishi's head up and gently pressed a pressure point in his neck.

Enishi shook his head, trying to find his focus again. Kenshin stood up and calmly walked back to where the rag sat, neglected and forlorn. He calmly started rubbing the rag onto the floor once more, even as Enishi glared at him murderously. "You fiend! Are you mad? You almost killed me", he shouted in rage.

"Almost. But I didn't go through with it. Shouldn't you be grateful?" Kenshin nonchalantly commented, his eyes concentrated upon the rag.

"Grateful? You…you bloody lunatic! No wonder everyone calls you a monster! That name…that the prisoners have, Batt"

Kenshin stopped and trained his eyes, glowing amber by now, on Enishi, silencing him. "Is it wise Enishi, to repeat such slander in front of the man who just spared your pitiful little life?"

Enishi swallowed. He had never seen Kenshin like this. His eyes had turned into golden pools of light, no this, was not Kenshin. This was Battousai.

Kenshin smirked. "I didn't think so. Now get out."

Enishi got to his feet, and stumbled out of the dojo. He bumped into Aoshi on his way out; pushing him aside he made his way down the corridor, his shoes clicking on the wooden floor. Aoshi watched him go, a puzzled expression on his face. He entered the dojo, carefully keeping to the sides of the wall, where mats of jute and rugs were thrown to provide places to sit. Kenshin was diligently involved in his task, so he sat down on a rug and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Kenshin looked up and smiled. Smiling back he asked, "What was that all about? Enishi looked pretty shaken up." Kenshin's smile widened. Aoshi sighed. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. I was just clearing a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding may that be?"

"The little twerp thinks he can say anything to me and get away with it. I just made it clear to him that he couldn't"

"Kenshin."

"It'll be alright. Don't worry."

Aoshi smirked. "I sure hope so. If he tells Tomoe you were picking on him, I don't think she'll be as easy to deal with anymore."

Kenshin stood up. "Tomoe isn't going anywhere, no matter what he tells her. And besides", he trailed off; someone was walking towards the dojo. Judging from the footfall, whoever it was was extremely upset. Apparently Aoshi had noticed it too, because he stood up and looked towards the doorway. The sound of the footsteps grew louder and finally, stopped outside the door. Whoever it was, was gathering their breath together. Sure enough, a second later, the bead curtain was flung aside and Megumi Takani walked into the dojo.

She was fuming and her cheeks were pale red, whether from the exertion or from anger, or both was debatable. Thick, black hair shot straight down her back, her lips luscious and full, painted scarlet, and her curvaceous figure wrapped elegantly in a white kimono with purple sakura blossoms, and a white sash held loosely at the elbows. Kenshin and Aoshi were both so busy admiring her that they missed the murderous looks she was sending them. Megumi apparently noticed that the men hadn't yet realized that she was angry and had come to yell at them. She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in Aoshi's face.

Aoshi blinked. "What?"

Kenshin innocently spoke, "what happened Megumi? Is everything all right? You seem a bit…upset."

"Upset? Upset? I seem upset…well you're bloody well right I'm upset! How dare you, you and that brute you call a friend, how dare you come to my house, dead drunk in the middle of the night. And then…instead of stopping him, you egg him on while he stands in the middle of the whole street, drunk as a fish, SINGING LOVE SONGS!" Aoshi winced and took a step back.

"Calm down Megumi, it's not as bad as you're saying." Kenshin tried to make her sit but Megumi slapped his hands away.

"Not as bad? Kenshin Himura, the entire, _entire_ street woke up because of that dreadful singing. I think I'm scarred for life; I may never go listen to the opera because of what your boorish friend did! Everyone knows! I'm so embarrassed I had to come here in a palanquin, with the curtains drawn! Me!"

Aoshi mumbled, "Yes I see how that could have hurt you, being deprived of a chance to show off that new kimono, ne Megumi?"

"Yes! I mean, well, it is such a pretty colour, but that's beside the point! The point is how dare you! My uncle is so furious; he's sworn he won't rest till that good-for-nothing idiot is in the dungeons. I've never felt so humiliated in my life!" She sat down, her arms crossed over her chest, looking away.

Aoshi motioned to Kenshin, and silently mouthed the words, _do something_.

Kenshin shrugged and mouthed back, _what do you want me to do?_

Aoshi rolled his eyes, _anything, just make her feel better_.

Kenshin fixed him with a glance; _I know just one way to make a woman feel better. And if I do that to Megumi, Sano will kill me_.

Aoshi glared, _not that, you moron! Something else!_

Kenshin frowned, _what else is there?_

Aoshi looked like he would gladly throttle Kenshin. _Can't you think of anything that you might do that doesn't involve sex?_

Kenshin lifted his chin haughtily. _No._

Aoshi made a rude motion with his fingers, _you are absolutely useless!_

Kenshin smirked. _Ok hot shot if you know so much, why don't you make her feel better?_

Aoshi sat down and tentatively began, "Megumi, maybe you shouldn't judge Sano so harshly. After all, he really loves you and he just wanted to make you happy."

Megumi's eyes flashed. "What the hell made him think that I would be happy if he woke everyone up in the middle of the night, with a voice that sounds like owls being tortured?"

Kenshin nudged Aoshi, and winked conspiratorially at him. "Is that all you're angry about? We had no idea! Don't you worry Megumi, next time we'll tell Sano to serenade you in the middle of the day, so nobody has to wake up to listen to him."

Megumi fumed. "Oh! You, you are so shameless Kenshin! I can't believe you were there and you did nothing! We are supposed to be friends, you and I! I was so embarrassed, everyone was laughing, and I didn't know where to look as I came in this morning. All the ladies in court know, and they're being absolutely beastly about it. But what do you care!" She continued to rant at them.

Sano stood quietly at the door listening to everything she was saying. He silently came and stood behind her. Kenshin and Aoshi looked at him, but he put a finger to his lips and shook his head. They shifted their focus back to Megumi, who had stopped shouting at them. She was out of breath. She put one hand to her chest, as if trying to steady her heartbeat.

"Well, you obviously don't understand the torment you all have put me through, but I just came here to tell you this. Tell that boorish, uncouth, rude, arrogant, vile, annoying friend of yours that if he ever crosses my path again, I am going to…to…make his life miserable!"

Then lifting her chin, she haughtily turned around and tunneled straight into Sano, who deftly steadied her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Getting caught off balance, Megumi mumbled, "Thank you".

"Anytime Megumi, just say the word, and I'll be there." Sano flashed a flirtatious smile at her. Aoshi and Kenshin rolled their eyes. Megumi simply took a step back, stared at him for a few seconds. Then, she quietly moved towards the door, Sano called after her, "Hey Fox weren't you going to make my life miserable?"

Megumi stopped, turned around and smiled one of her most winning smiles at Sano. Sano felt his knees going weak, as she walked towards him, "I did think about that, but now when I see you, you're already so pathetic I decided it's best to ignore a novice such as you."

**Author's Notes**

I'm sorry I took a little longer than my projected date for this chapter. But the earlier drafts just didn't feel right. I hope you liked this. Please Review!


	5. The Brewing Storm

**Summary: **Two kingdoms opposed to one another since ancient times, one trying to sustain its identity even as the other seeks to override it completely. Hiko and Shishio are two kings whose heirs Kaoru and Kenshin must find a way to bring peace to a land that has seen too much bloodshed, can they do it? Are they even willing to stop the war? KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. Woeful, sad, unlucky me!!!!

**Rating:** T for adult content in later chapters

**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 5: The Brewing Storm**

**Recap**

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**-**

_Kamatari moved forward swiftly. He reached the drawbridge just as the travel-worn pair was entering the open courtyard beyond the bridge. The taller horseman stepped off his horse and looked around. His eyes swept over the preparations approvingly. As Kamatari came into view, he smirked. "Kamatari", he swept his eyes over him, "you look terrible."_

"_That's rich coming from you…Saitou."_

-

-

"What took you so long? You didn't run into any trouble along the way did you?"

"No we did not." Saitou once again surveyed the courtyard. "What a mess!"

"We've had to make haste." Kamatari retorted quite irritably. _It's all very well for you to talk, you just got here_. As a soldier came forward to take the travel worn horse to rest, Kamatari looked beyond Saitou's shoulder to where the other horseman had alighted as well. He was a young, lean man, turning his head left and right, committing every detail to memory. He was startlingly handsome, his delicate features immediately at odds with the sword secured at his hip. Kamatari raised an eyebrow, even as a smirk curled his lip. "Who is _that_?"

Saitou returned his mocking stare with a quelling glance of his own. "That is my student. Keep your mind out of the gutter for once Kamatari." The other man merely shrugged, unrepentant. Turning towards the boy who was swiftly becoming the centre of attraction for all present, he called, "Okita! Come here."

The boy broke out of his thoughts and quickly walked towards his master. Saitou introduced him to Kamatari. "Okita, this is General Kamatari. Kamatari, this is Okita Souji, my student."

"Interesting. Since when do you have a student?" He asked casually, running his eyes lazily over the newcomer's frame. Saitou narrowed his eyes. He threateningly took a step forward yet there was no change in Kamatari's demeanor as he continued to look at Saitou's young charge appraisingly, stroking his chin as he did so. Okita was slightly puzzled. What on earth was going on? He watched as the two men glared venomously at each other. They would have gladly stood there all night had it not been for Kaoru. After waiting patiently for half an hour, the princess' patience finally grew thin and she went looking for Kamatari, only to find him engrossed in a staring contest. She rolled her eyes and drew near.

Tugging on his sleeve, she complained, "Taro…what are you doing here? I've been waiting for you for so long. I'm tired and I'm sleepy and I want to go home to Da and I…oh." She found herself being observed by the two strangers they had let in. The older seemed to be quite amused by her little interruption but the younger one. Well the younger one…sweet lord he was so handsome. Kaoru swallowed. She had never seen or met someone so breathtaking before. She suddenly remembered the Princess Code of Conduct as drilled into her by Tae. The cardinal rule to be remembered when meeting such….ahem…beautiful strangers, who were important enough for Taro himself to talk to them for a considerable length of time, was to make an appropriate bow and wait for someone to introduce her.

Okita was shamelessly staring at the girl who had appeared out of nowhere and had started to complain to the general. She was beautiful. He couldn't help staring at her even when it was obvious that she was embarrassed by his scrutiny. He kept looking at her. His gaze never wavered from her face, not even for a second. Not until Master Saitou very deliberately nudged him. General Kamatari was speaking.

"Her majesty, the Princess Kaoru, General Hajime Saitou and his subordinate Okita Souji." Saitou snapped a look at Kamatari then quickly bowed, Okita following suit immediately. When he straightened, he noticed Kaoru quickly looked away so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes and General Kamatari was frowning at him. He had obviously seen the undisguised interest in his eyes. He checked himself and looked to Master Saitou who was watching the drama unfolding in front of him with great amusement.

Kamatari swiftly glanced from Kaoru to Okita; both were now painstakingly avoiding looking at each other. _What the hell! _

"Kaoru, why don't you ride on ahead and tell your father General Saitou and Captain Okita Souji have arrived? We will follow."

Kaoru protested, "But, Taro, I thought we would ride back together."

Kamatari smiled_. Smart girl. Very clever but I'm not falling for that one_. He gently touched her face with his fingers, lightly patting her cheek as he spoke. "It's late. You should have been back at the palace an hour ago. Your father must be worried about you. I'll send an escort with you. Tell Shishio we're on our way."

Kaoru held his eyes for a few seconds before nodding her assent. She turned to Saitou, "it was a pleasure meeting you General. I hope I shall get the chance to speak to you at length at the palace."

"My lady, I shall look forward to it." Saitou bowed gracefully. Kaoru shyly turned to Okita, "it was nice meeting you too Captain." Okita opened his mouth to say something but before he could get the words out, Kamatari brought Ko forward, right between the two young people. He held his hand out to Kaoru, helped her mount and set four soldiers to ride to the palace with her as guards.

The three men stood and watched as she rode away into the distance. Kamatari glanced at Saitou, "let's get going shall we?" He strode towards the stables. Saitou placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and thoughtfully looked at the fortification of the wall. It was flawless; the men had done a good job of it. He walked towards the stables, after Kamatari. It took him a minute to realize that his charge was not following. Saitou turned around and was about to call him, when he saw Okita slowly making his way towards him. He was so lost in his own thoughts he walked straight into Saitou.

"Oh! Master Saitou! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." Saitou cocked his head to one side and regarded him carefully. He placed the back of his hand against Okita's forehead. "No, no trace of temperature. Hmmm…it must be the exhaustion. This isn't like you Okita. I've never seen you so distracted before. You had better watch where you're going." He turned to walk away, but something made him stop and look at his student once more. Saitou was very proud of Okita; there was not another swordsman in all of Konan who match him blow for blow. He didn't want him to lose focus now, at the verge of battle. He hadn't missed a beat on what had happened earlier.

It was to be expected, he hardly blamed the boy. Okita had spent his entire life training. His contact with the opposite sex had been minimal and what little there had been had hardly sparked his interest. But this time, things were different. Shishio's fiery-tempered daughter was a remarkable young lady. Okita's reaction to her had only confirmed this. He hadn't taken his eyes off her even for a heartbeat's time. If Okita was reduced to a distracted state just by looking at her, he didn't want to even think about what would happen if he spent more time talking to her and getting to know her. Getting amused by his student's speechlessness at seeing a beautiful woman was one thing, but to watch him make a complete fool out of himself was another.

Okita fidgeted a little under his teacher's cold scrutiny. "Master Saitou?" He tentatively ventured.

Saitou turned around back towards the stables. "It is not a wise thing to ignore a man when he is speaking, especially if you are busy staring at his niece. I have witnessed men cut down for less than that."

Okita shuffled his feet. "Why are you telling me this Master?"

"Don't play the innocent with me. I wasn't the only one who noticed you staring at her."

"But master, I wasn't staring! I was just…looking", he said in a small voice. Saitou rolled his eyes and walked away. "Like I said, watch where you're going."

-

-

Shishio sat uneasily on a chair in his room, staring out blankly at the twilight sky, seen from the open terrace. His mind kept wandering back to his conversation with Kamatari. He had left that day for the city borders and hadn't returned as of yet. He didn't understand why he had to be so obstinate about everything. _Take care of him_, Yumi had said. Well that's what he was trying to do wasn't he? But he couldn't do very much about it if that stubborn fool kept acting like this! For once, couldn't he give him the security of knowing that he was safe and away from harm? What had he said in this that was so hard to understand?

He looked up as the door to the room slid open and a slight figure stepped in. Shishio peered at the door but the torches and lights had been blown out by the wind, and the dark room has suited his pensive thinking. Raising his head a little, he called out, "who's there?"

A bubbling laugh greeted him, as Kaoru stepped out into the light. She seated herself on a stool beside the chair and looked up lovingly at her father. "It's alright Da. It's just me."

Shishio frowned. "What do you mean, just me?" He placed a hand on her head, lightly stroking her hair. "What have you been up to lately? I hardly see you nowadays. It seems as though you've become too busy, child." Kaoru looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry Da. I just, well, I've been practicing a lot more nowadays and Tae is determined to transform me into a delicate darling so I have to make sure I double my katas to drown out all the nonsense she teaches…….oh….ahem….sorry Da," Kaoru caught the amused look in Shishio's eyes.

"Tae teaches you nonsense, does she?" Shishio took on a mock-serious tone.

"Well, not exactly, I mean it's alright for her but as far as I'm concerned, it's nonsense. I'm never going to use any of it."

"Hmmmm. And why do you think that?"

"Because, one day I must take care of our people. You can't do that when you're shut inside a palace all day. A good ruler is one who moves freely amongst his people; like you do….I can't do that if I turn into what Tae wants." Kaoru looked pensive and Shishio was amazed. _Kaoru's all grown up and I never realized. When did she become so…wise?_

"That's….pretty deep. I had no idea my little princess is ready to be queen."

"Everyone must choose their path sooner or later in life, Da. That's what you've always told me."

"You've chosen your path?"

"Yes."

"Then you are truly blessed. I shall pray that your path leads you to your happiness, wherever it may lie".

Kaoru looked up at the change in her father's tone. His eyes were bright. She turned and placed a hand on his knee, "Da…"

"I am…not used to seeing you so determined Kaoru. I sometimes feel as though I missed watching you grow up into a woman, who is ready to face the challenges every ruler must encounter. Forgive me, but I am unable to reconcile this image with the one I have carried in my heart for all these years. It will take a little getting used to."

Kaoru smiled. "I understand."

"So….have you spoken to Kamatari lately?" Shishio asked in a very offhanded manner, hoping that Kaoru wouldn't notice that he had taken the conversation in an entirely different direction. Kaoru raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly, but she quickly straightened her face as Shishio brought his eyes back to her.

"Yes. I met Taro just a few hours ago. He was supervising the construction of the moat. Why Da, is there something wrong?" She asked innocently.

"No, of course not. He hasn't been around so I was wondering."

"Yes, I was missing him too."

"Missing him? Who said anything about missing him? That's _hardly_ what I meant Kaoru. I just...well…your uncle can be pretty difficult to get along with sometimes, that's all."

Kaoru grinned. "Taro is being stubborn about something, isn't he?"

Shishio gave a mirthless smile. "As stubborn as a mule." He shifted in his seat. "That boy makes me worry sometimes. Once he gets an idea in his head, it's impossible to make him forget about it."

"Da…Taro is hardly a boy. And you shouldn't worry about him. He knows what he's doing. Perhaps you should trust him a little", Kaoru spoke in a very soft voice. She was taking a big risk, she really wasn't sure Da was ready to hear any of this just yet.

Shishio looked up at her. "What do you mean? Of course I trust him. Would I have entrusted you to him had I not believed in him?"

"That's not what I'm talking about Da. You…you often treat him as if he were a child or something. Taro resents that. He thinks you're not taking him seriously when you do that."

"What?!! But that's just ridiculous! Of course I take him seriously!"

"Have you ever told him that?"

"It's obvious. Shouldn't he know that?"

"Maybe he doesn't, isn't it better to tell him rather than risk him never knowing what you felt about him?" Kaoru calmly said everything she wanted to, her heart thumping as she realized the implications of her father understanding and accepting what she was trying to say. She noticed that Shishio kept looking pensively at a bird in flight carved in a wooden post. She was about to leave when there was a knock at the door. She looked towards the door while Shishio remained as he was.

Hoji entered, and bowed, first to his king and then to Kaoru. He straightened, "Your Majesty, General Kamatari has returned and he is accompanied by General Saitou and his protégé Captain Okita Souji. Will you see them now?"

Shishio sharply turned around. "They've arrived? I will see them right away." Shishio made his way out of the room. He had eagerly awaited Saitou's arrival. His mere presence was enough to make him a lot more confident about the impending war. There wasn't a better strategist anywhere; Shishio was reassured by his coming.

Kaoru remained rooted on the spot while the king made his way to the door. Shishio turned suddenly as he reached the door, "well Kaoru, aren't you coming?"

She shook her head slowly as if trying to understand what he was saying. She had been completely caught up in thoughts of Okita. "Coming? Where, Da?"

"Well, you want to be a good ruler do you not?" He replied, gently chuckling at her reaction. _Trust Kaoru to make grave statements in one instant and then space out in the next…_

"Oh! Oh yes, yes I do!" Kaoru eagerly stepped off the stool she was sitting on and starting walking towards Shishio.

"Well then, a ruler is nothing without a keen military strategist," He took her arm and gently led her to the chamber where Saitou, Kamatari and Okita where waiting. "But Da", Kaoru interjected, "Shouldn't a ruler be a keen strategist himself…err….herself?"

"Yes, but when your mind fails to bring you what you need you can always rely on someone you trust to get the job done. General Saitou is the most competent commander in this army. He is also an old friend of mine. Learn what you can from him." Kaoru nodded solemnly. She intended to do just that.

The mood inside the chamber was somber; the occupants were huddled around a table in the middle of the room, upon which sat a model of the palace, the citadel and adjoining areas. There was also a scroll depicting the land of Konan and its borders. The three men bowed solemnly to their liege lord and waited for him to approach the table.

Shishio regarded Saitou carefully. "I am glad you came." Everyone in the room was taken aback. Shishio was never this familiar with outsiders who were not part of his house. Okita was surprised that the emperor was behaving in a manner that could only be described as normal and totally unaffected. Which was surprising since power often made men forget their transient reality but seldom made them humble. He knew his master and the emperor were friends, they had fought many battles side by side, but he hadn't expected that the emperor would be so unchanged. After all, it had been years since his master had taken command of the East province of Konan. He could indeed believe that this was the warrior-king for whom Konan's people had freely given their lives. He made it obvious what they were fighting for was the same thing – Konan. Nothing else had mattered for Shishio. Nothing else had concerned Saitou.

Saitou held Shishio's eyes. "How could I not come? You said it was urgent."

"Yes, how much are you aware of? Has Kamatari told you about the situation?"

"Yes, he has. Seijuro has laid a very pretty trap. It won't be easy."

Shishio looked up from the model. This was not what he wanted to hear. Not from Saitou.

Saitou caught his glance. "We cannot turn our faces from the reality of our circumstances. The enemy is sitting at the northern border, barely five miles from the city. Our largest numbers here at this moment add up to about one thousand men, of which three hundred are peasants carrying pitchforks."

Kamatari broke in, "We can arm them, give them swords."

"That does not help when the opposing army belongs to Hiko Seijuro. He will have no less than two thousand warriors armed to their teeth waiting for their orders to charge even as we speak", he paused for a moment before continuing, "before we left, I had sent Okita to gather round as many men possible from every village and hamlet in those parts, they are being fitted and armed."

"How many?" Kamatari questioned eagerly. Saitou shook his head, "Five hundred from within the ranks, and three hundred from volunteering villages. These are not figures that will win you this war. Our safest bet is to rely on stealth, fight till we are able, but keep a retreating plan open."

There was a deep silence in the room. A faint rustle could be heard as the wind played catch with the curtains. Shishio narrowed his eyes and idly moved tiny figurines of trees around. Kaoru sat, white-faced. She couldn't believe her ears. Okita looked at each of the men at the table by turns. His fingers curled into a fist and shook. "Sensei…"

His clear voice cut through the tension in the room. "As General Kamatari told us earlier, the northern villages are to be emptied immediately after the harvest; most of the people have reached the city to prepare for the Festival and those that haven't are in remote villages in the southern part of the country."

Saitou narrowed his eyes, "yes….what are you trying to say?"

"Well then, if we concentrate on defending the city and the people within the walls, we should be alright. The farmers will begin harvest in another week; they should be done in two weeks. If we can get the entire village folk here before the Festival"

"Then the only thing we have to worry about is defending the city." Kamatari finished for him.

Shishio glanced up at Okita. He smiled. "You are Saitou's apprentice, are you not?"

Okita bowed. "Yes your majesty."

Shishio nodded thoughtfully. He addressed Saitou, "well what do you think? Can it be done?"

Saitou focused upon the model and took a deep breath. He finally nodded. "I think so. But we'll have to make sure everyone gets inside the citadel before the Festival begins."

Kamatari spoke up, "that's simple enough. We'll send a herald saying that the king wishes to say something important to his people at the festival. That should guarantee that everyone starts moving towards the capital."

Kaoru fidgeted in her seat. She stood suddenly and made her way to where the men stood huddled over the model. Taking a deep breath she spoke, "Excuse me, may I say something…?"

All eyes turned to her, Saitou's were filled with surprise, Kamatari's with conspiratorial mischief, Shishio's with amusement and Okita's with complete admiration. Shishio straightened and held his hand out, "of course Kaoru, what is it?"

"Well, it seems you are decided on defending the city against all odds. However…this plan….will fail if we are forced to stay here for more than a week. Provisions can be stopped outside the walls. I agree that within these walls we are safe, and that nothing can penetrate them. However, we shall also be isolated inside, and unable to do anything about what happens outside. And what will happen if the enemy decides to strike from the south, and not the north?"

Saitou and Okita exchanged a quick glance. The princess was everything she was rumored to be. Kamatari grinned and looked at Shishio.

"Da? What are we going to do about this?" Kaoru asked again. She was getting very worried. She couldn't understand why they all felt they could relax so easily. If all they concentrated upon was defense then they really couldn't last here too long. Shouldn't they be thinking about how to best attack Kutoe's armies before they entered Konan territory?

"Kaoru. I think it's time you understand what sort of situation we're in. This is no longer a petty war we can fight at the borders and get it over with. This time, the battle is for our very existence. Kutoe plans to invade us and wipe out any trace of the people of Konan."

"That's precisely why we must attack them, not hide behind our walls!"

"Would you enter the battlefield only to die on it?"

"What?"

"Because that is what would happen if we recklessly gathered all our forces and charged on them right now."

"No that's not what I meant. It's just that, we cannot put all our strength on defending just the city."

"Shishio smiled. "What would you defend then?"

"Shouldn't we take up positions at the border itself, and not allow them to pass through?"

"Kutoe has an army of more than ten thousand soldiers on foot and five thousand on horses, how many could you stop at the border with fifteen hundred men?"

"But surely, they won't draw out their entire army, will they?"

"Why not? This is an invasion. They will keep sending armies till we surrender or are all killed." Shishio picked up a figurine of a clay soldier and moved it slowly across the model. "In the past decade our allies have either accepted the sovereignty of Hiko Seijuro, or refused him and been annihilated."

"But, that means…"

"Heh. Yes, that means I sealed our fate when I refused his emissary earlier this year."

"But…that _can't_ be!"

No one spoke. Shishio placed the clay soldier back in his place. This was not the way he would have wanted Kaoru to know. It was his mistake. He should have told her sooner - but how could have done that? His daughter loved Konan - every rock, river and blade of grass in it was dear to her. Telling her would shatter her, even as it would do so now.

Kaoru felt a prickling sensation in her eyes and throat. She swallowed. She closed her eyes briefly before looking at her father. He seemed grave. They all did. For some strange reason, she did not feel angry at them for not telling her earlier. Her land and its people were going to be wiped out by a foe that cared nothing for what they were, what their aspirations were - their happiness and life meant nothing. Konan was nothing more than a name to be tagged on the Kutoe Empire. It was a small kingdom, a thorn in the side of the dragon that wished to rule the world, a land that had no purpose because it was small, it was happy and it wanted to be free.

Kaoru remembered her words. _I want to be a good ruler_. Is this what being a ruler is? To accept death and annihilation but never lower one's head. Da had known what would happen if he refused Hiko Seijuro. They had all known. Kamatari, Hoji, General Saitou, even Okita. This is why they didn't speak of attacking the enemy. They knew they had no time for that. They needed to defend their people for as long as they could, till they could find a way to get them out.

Kaoru stepped back, away from the table. Okita looked her; her pain was visible on her face. He wished there was something he could say, anything that would ease her suffering. He understood what she felt. He had felt the same when his master had told him what their emperor's decision had been. It was a decision he supported and admired. When word had come to them from the capital, neither he nor Master Saitou hesitated. They were most likely riding to their deaths but neither would have it any other way. He watched her silently leave the room. He looked at the emperor and General Kamatari, wondering if they would follow her but they didn't. _I am happy we came, otherwise I never would have met you…Kaoru. And that would have been a poor life indeed._

Kamatari watched with growing irritation as Okita's eyes followed Kaoru out of the room. _I swear he would have run after her if he could! Will he never stop staring at her? Lech! Saitou's probably enjoying this, the bastard. Shishio is not even noticing that this whelp is standing here, right under his nose and devouring Kaoru with his eyes. Am I the only one who cares here? _

Okita felt as if someone were watching him. Instinctively he glanced up to find Kamatari glaring at him. He inwardly winced. He had thought he wouldn't let this happen again but he couldn't help it. He had been delighted to see Kaoru accompany the emperor. If only he could assure the General that his intentions towards her were honorable. In fact, they were entirely honorable - though his thoughts were beginning to become heated when he saw her. But still... wait... what was that niggling sound?

Kamatari cleared his throat. "Captain if you're quite finished admiring ….the view...perhaps we can get back to our discussion?"

Okita felt a blush creep across his features as three pairs of eyes fixed on him.

Shishio frowned. He looked at Kamatari. "What view are you talking about, Taro?" Okita's eyes widened as he looked at Kamatari, silently imploring him not to say anything. Kamatari snorted. "Let's just get back to the plan."

The meeting ended over an hour later. The emperor and his two main commanders had formulated a strategy that would allow for an iron-clad defense of the citadel within the perimeter walls. Their only hope was that their people make it to the city in time and that the Kutoe armies wouldn't venture into Konan before the festival.

Shishio and Saitou retreated to his private chambers to talk freely and Kamatari, not willing to talk to Shishio on a personal level yet, wandered off in search of Kaoru, which left the young swordsman standing all alone in the courtyard outside the meeting chamber. Okita sighed. He was tired but he didn't want to rest. He wanted to speak to Kaoru. He had half a mind to follow General Kamatari but he wasn't feeling too confident about that just yet. He was wandering around aimlessly in the palace he came to a small garden. He entered silently, looking around. Gardens were private places; he didn't want to intrude on anyone.

"What are you doing here?" Okita froze. _Too late_. He turned to face Kamatari who was sitting on the bank of a small stream running through the garden. His katana was resting on the cushiony grass of the bank; he held his gloves in one hand.

"I was just looking around."

"Yes….you do a lot of that, don't you?" Kamatari spoke in a scathing tone. Okita smiled. His master hadn't been bluffing about the general.

"I meant no insult, my lord."

"None taken." The silence stretched between them like a wall. "Come here, sit down" Okita was a bit surprised but he managed to mask it quickly. He went ahead and sat down beside Kamatari on the bank and waited. Kamatari turned towards him, again scrutinizing him the way he had done at the gate.

"How long have you been with Saitou?"

Okita bent his head. "I've been with sensei my whole life. He took me in when my father left for war."

"But you're an aristocrat aren't you?"

"Yes, but after father died, I never returned to our estate. I just stayed on with sensei. I was training under him and didn't want to leave."

"I see. "

Nothing more was said for a very long time. Both swordsmen seemed immersed in their own minds, thinking. Okita found himself thinking about Kaoru once more. He picked his katana up and placed it across his legs. He looked up at the sky, gleaming with stars.

"The night is so beautiful."

Kamatari looked up as well. "Yes it is. You should rest. Tomorrow we have lots of work to do."

"I had hoped to speak with Lady Kaoru." There. He had said it. He wasn't one to go beating about the bush. He wanted Kaoru, and he wasn't going to get her if he acted timid around this man, of all people. He knew it was wartime, and that the timing couldn't have been worse however he needed to do something about this now. The war would come; he would fight and perhaps die, perhaps not. If he died, he wanted to do so after telling her how he felt about her. It was perhaps silly but he knew he had loved her the minute she had burst in between the general and his sensei. He needed to tell her this. Now.

Kamatari blinked. He was astounded. _I had hoped to speak with Lady Kaoru_. That's all he said, this boy, who had not existed for him before today. And in that one sentence he made clear what he was thinking. Kamatari didn't know whether he wanted to kill him for daring so much or congratulate him for having the courage to speak his mind. Had he possessed such courage he would get up, go to Shishio and tell him, right now. _I love you, from the moment I set my eyes on you, I have loved you. _But he didn't. He wouldn't.

"Do you realize what you just said?" Kamatari asked in all seriousness.

Okita turned to look at him. "I do. I love her."

"How can you? You just met her, a couple of hours ago. What could you possibly know about her to love her?"

"Nothing if time is the only measure of love. This may seem insane to you, but I know I love her. It's as true to me as you are, sitting here right now. I know it."

He said no more. He wasn't allowed to. Kamatari had pulled his katana out and slashed; he had rolled away just in time. They stood facing each other. Each bent, battle ready. The chirping of the night crickets served as music to their troubled minds. Kamatari raged, in jealousy and possessiveness. He was coming to take her away, she wasn't his to claim. She was his baby, his and Shishio's. Kaoru was _their_ child. And he loved her. He couldn't love her anymore than he did even if he miraculously became Yumi and gave birth to her.

But this boy, he now wanted her as his own. Kamatari slowly straightened and looked deep into Okita's eyes and gasped. The desperation he used to see in the mirror, the need for love that plagued him reflected back at him from Okita's eyes. Okita loved her….even as he loved Shishio. He bent his head and sheathed his katana once more. Okita dropped his ready stance as well and waited. Kamatari started to walk towards the gate, as he crossed Okita; he turned slightly and softly whispered, "For your own sake, be strong. It is a plague to love someone so much."

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**Author Notes**

Hope you liked it. Sorry nothing on Kenshin. But I am almost dead after writing this much. Hopefully next chapter will be out in a few days…then I'm leaving for Dubai.

Read and review people!!!!


	6. The Enemy Closes In

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: ** Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form. Waaaaaaa…. Pass the Kleenex box.

**Rating**: T for language, violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

In case anyone forgot, I'm putting up the ages of the characters at this point.

Kenshin – 24Kaoru - 18Okita - 24Enishi - 20

Aoshi – 26Misao - 16 Saitou – 39 Hiko - 43

Sano – 21 Megumi – 22Tomoe - 26

Shishio – 41Kamatari – 30

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 6: The Enemy Closes In**

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On a busy street adjacent to one of the six large squares of Kutoe's imperial city, there is a famous restaurant called the Aoiya. Members of the aristocracy and the affluent merchant class of Kutoe frequent it. They find the private chambers of the Aoiya amenable to discussions of profit and loss, strategy and statesmanship. The ready seclusion afforded by the restaurant has propagated an illusion that the matters spoken of inside the Aoiya are secret and safe. The falsity of this illusion is, in fact, one of the most closely guarded secrets of the capital. Although the restaurant and inn do roaring business, the establishment is in truth a cover fors the headquarters and base of operations of the Oniwabanshu.

The Oniwabanshu is a secret society of imperial spies that has survived through centuries of dynastic rule in Kutoe. When it was first established, members were chosen only from a particular ninja clan but in recent years members from across all regions and classes have been chosen.

In the olden days when the borders of Kutoe were not so expansive, the king was often plagued with worry regarding his regime.

His vassals, the shoguns based in the rich provinces to the east and south grew rich and powerful from the trade that plied through the empire. The shoguns maintained groups of policemen that started out as protection units to guard the trade roads and the merchants from bandits and robbers. In time however, these units became the personal armies of the shoguns, they wore the family crests of the shogun on their uniform and weapons. As the power and internal influence of the shoguns grew, the influence of the king and his sovereign power diminished to the extent that the shoguns began to neglect the transfer of the taxes collected from the provinces to the capital.

In this dire situation, the head of the Oniwabanshu ninjas swore fealty to the king and promised to deliver him from this difficulty. The Oniwabanshu infiltrated the courts of the shoguns and began to sow seeds of distrust amongst them. When war between neighboring clans and provinces became imminent due to these machinations, the king stepped in. Proclaiming his supremacy and right to rule, he disbanded the armies of the shoguns and took away the control of trade from them. The capital was moved from the icy plains of the north to the southern most province of Kutoe. The shoguns were ordered to reside close to the king in adjoining palaces at the capital where the Oniwabanshu could keep an eye on them. The close proximity to the king also deterred ambitious attempts at coup and civil war.

Lessons learnt in peril are not easily forgotten. Subsequent dynasties and their rulers made the Oniwabanshu privy to every decision made regardless of whether it was wartime or peace. Amazingly, for an organization that has been responsible for saving the kingdom on so many occasions, very little is known about the Oniwabanshu. They operate in secrecy, their names and identity known to few others apart from the king. Thus, for the unsuspecting citizen of Kutoe, the Aoiya is nothing more than a restaurant for the wealthy. For those who know better, it is a place to exchange information, to see and be seen, to hear and overhear.

Ten years before Hiko Seijurou XIII ascended the Crystal Throne, the command of the Oniwabanshu passed to a man known simply as Okina. It remains with him to this day, even though the emperor and Okina himself have chosen a worthy successor for the organization. When the time comes, the Oniwabanshu will recognize Aoshi Shinomori, nephew to the emperor and cousin to the crown prince, as their undisputed leader. But for the present, Okina maintains control, managing the organization and as an added benefit he also enjoys making eccentric rules on the Aoiya menu, like no dango on Monday and nothing but dango on Wednesdays.

This venerable old gentleman sat calmly in a secluded chamber away from the general dining room of the Aoiya. He watched as the sunlight slowly invaded the room. Each beam lit up tiny specks of dust that floated on the air. The door opened and his leisurely perusal of dust and light was interrupted. Okina looked up and smiled as he recognized the white-haired nobleman standing in the doorway.

"Enishi."

"Okina." Enishi smiled back. He pushed his glasses back along the bridge of his nose.

"We are not open yet."

"I know. I'm not here for the food." Enishi tossed a glance into the hallway behind him. There was nobody around yet. The tables were empty, and the kitchen fires were being just being stoked as the spoke. Okina calmly inclined his head and gestured to a place opposite him. Enishi sat down.

"Well, what can I do for you?" Okina asked as the ghost of a smile played on his lips.

"I need help Okina." Enishi said earnestly. Okina laughed, his face full of mirth and amusement.

"Don't we all?" He picked up a bottle of sake and poured some into a cup. "Being human is to be in a perpetual state of needing help."

"Perhaps. I am to be called into service soon." Enishi's eyes followed the wine as it fell softly into another cup.

"Oh. And the thought of going to war," Okina paused and looked directly into his companion's eyes, "terrifies you?" He placed one of the cups in front of his guest.

"Absolutely not!" Enishi replied in indignation. "But I don't want to be stuck in a squadron that sees no action. This may well be the last real war that we see in our time." He leaned forward, his hand pressed into the table. "I want to be in the thick of things." Okina watched him carefully.

"The thick of things? It's simple enough then. Attach yourself to Kenshin. The crown prince is a seasoned hand at being in the thick of things. Trouble finds him everywhere he goes." He steepled his fingers. His eyes focused on Enishi's face. His eyes gained a solemn expression as Enishi registered his words and appeared disgruntled.

"I do not doubt it..." Enishi drew back once more. He crossed his arms defensively over his chest. The gesture was not lost on Okina.

"But?" He prompted.

"I want to be as far away from Kenshin as possible."

Okina raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"May I speak frankly?" Enishi asked quietly.

"As frankly as possible."

"Kenshin," Enishi bit the name out, "is insufferable. Everything's a bloody joke to him. His arrogance grates on my nerves and besides, when he's around, Takasugi acts as though the rest of us are complete imbeciles!" He raised his fingers angrily.

Okina bent his head. "I see. I hate to tell you this Enishi, but you will just have to live with it. Takasugi is the Emperor's most trusted general and Kenshin is our crown prince. Avoiding them will get you nowhere."

"I realize that. I just wish it didn't always have to be about Kenshin all the time. Takasugi is unwilling to see anything my way."

"Or you could leave the army."

"WHAT!"

"Leave the army. Because it doesn't matter what you do or how you do it, Kenshin is always going to do it in a different way that may not be what you were taught at the Academy but finds results. Understand this Enishi. Kenshin is where he is today because he has passed every test the Emperor set for him. Takasugi values him because he has never let him down, regardless of the circumstances. His arrogance is born of what he can do by virtue of his sword. His pride stems from his skills and if you cannot meet him on the same grounds, there will be no place for you in the army."

"I am trying to do that but he refuses to take me seriously. He's always being such a bastard."

"Enishi. Your preoccupation with Kenshin is keeping you from becoming the swordsman you can be. For once in your life, stop thinking about Kenshin and start thinking about yourself."

"What are you talking about?" Enishi exclaimed.

"Whenever I speak to you, the conversation ends up veering towards him. It's _always_ about Kenshin. What Kenshin said, what he thinks, what he feels or does not feel; somehow you're always more concerned about him than you are about yourself. I think it's high time you stopped doing that."

"I do not do that! You know I don't!" He protested.

Okina sighed. He rubbed his forehead. "I have trained you both, Enishi. I know what I'm talking about. I know you and I know Kenshin. I could defeat you in a fight, even today unmatched as we are in age, but I have no doubt I could defeat you, but...if I drew my sword against Kenshin, I know I would breath my last. Do you know why?"

Enishi looked away. "Because you think he's a better swordsman." He replied bitterly.

"Because he _knows _he's a better swordsman."

"..."

"Know yourself Enishi. Everything else will follow."

"..."

Okina looked up. Enishi was staring at the untouched sake cup in front of him. "I will speak to the emperor on your behalf."

Enishi looked startled. "Thank you Okina." He smiled, bending forward to bow respectfully. Okina waved his hand in protest.

"You can thank me when you return with some of the glory." Enishi bowed once more.

When his footsteps had died away, Okina spoke without raising his head. "Enishi Yukishiro is eager to be of service to the Emperor. He is a worthy soldier and will make a fine commander. Make sure this message reaches the Emperor soon."

A silent figure bowed from behind the screen and with nimble footsteps left the restaurant to convey his master's message. Okina watched him leave with a grim look on his face. Enishi had a very keen mind and he was devastatingly effective when he applied his mind to a task, but his enduring bitterness and resentment against Kenshin worried him. Enishi was a complicated man and not an enemy to be ignored. He hoped Kenshin would realize this.

Sometimes, indifference towards a rival was more dangerous than uninhibited hatred.

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Enishi left the Aoiya with a smile on his lips. He trusted Okina. He was certain his former sword master would induce the emperor to give him a chance to prove himself. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for his entire life to make a mark and gain respect and admiration. It was time to show the world (and Kenshin) what he was really made of.

Konan was the final frontier. The last bastion of resistance, it was the only kingdom that hadn't succumbed to Hiko Seijurou's tremendous power. After its conquest, the Kutoe Empire would be the largest and most powerful country in all the lands east of the great ocean and he, Enishi Yukishiro would be acknowledged as a leading player in this tale.

He was not like other noblemen who were more than willing to waste their youth in brothels and gambling houses. He didn't want to rest on the laurels of his family name. It wasn't enough to be a Yukishiro; he wanted to do something to prove that he was worthy of carrying that name. The Yukishiros were one of the oldest and most respected of the aristocratic families in Hiko Seijurou's court. His father had spent his entire life fighting wars for the emperor. He had been a loyal vassal; he had lived and died for him. He didn't understand that kind of blind, unquestioned loyalty for another man. For sure, he was loyal to the emperor, but his soul belonged to Kutoe. He was a slave to the land, not to the man who ruled it. Because men are fickle. Their souls are corrupt and tainted but the land is forever pure, beautiful and worthy of sacrificing a life to.

Okina wanted him to forget about Kenshin but that wasn't possible. He couldn't stop thinking about Kenshin because Kenshin was everything he had ever wanted to be. He wanted to be a man whose power was tied inescapably to his being. Kenshin was powerful, not because he was crown prince but because he held mastery over everything; men, women, swords and the battlefield, everything and everyone was irresistibly drawn to him. Kenshin held the world disdainfully in his hands; he had everything and he wanted nothing. People met him and fell under a spell.

He had seen men shiver, and tremble with excitement when he walked by, girls would linger about in corridors, waiting for him to show up and then corner him, regardless of what anyone would think of them. It was something incredible. His own sister, Tomoe was enamoured of Kenshin. She pretended not to notice him, even as she craned her neck out of the window to watch him walk past. She acted as though she didn't care but he knew she did, and it worried him.

There was no viable future for her infatuation with him and besides, Kenshin was ruthless when it came to women. Oh he would never lie; he never needed to. He never made promises of love, because he simply didn't need to make them. Anything he wanted, they would give, willingly. He worried about Tomoe. He didn't know what he would do if she ever...no! She wouldn't! Tomoe wasn't stupid. She knew what was expected of her to uphold the honour of the family. She would never cross a certain boundary. She would never acquiesce to Kenshin's every desire. She wouldn't. He knew it, she wouldn't.

But if she did...and Kenshin let her...

Enishi stopped. He stared at the ground. If that ever happened, he wouldn't hesitate. Crown prince or not, he would destroy him. Loyalty be damned!

Lost in his thoughts, Enishi walked away from the busy streets and into the bounds of the Western Court of the Palace. He didn't notice the crowd that gathered around a shop in the market behind him. The shopkeeper held a young girl by her throat. He was shouting and shaking her violently. The girl's face was red and slightly swollen where he had slapped her. Her lip was cut, blood trickled down her chin and her feet dragged in the dust. She had been beaten quite mercilessly. Some men in the crowd jeered at her sorry state. The shopkeeper finished his tirade and threw her away from the shop, into the street.

"There! That'll teach you to steal you little bitch!" He spat. Kicking her one last time, he turned and walked back into the shop.

The girl lay motionless. The mob melted away into the streets. A few unsavory characters kicked her once or twice and then moved on. No one bothered to pick her up or even check if she were still breathing. They didn't have time for that. If she died, there would be one thief less, if she didn't, she would move away herself.

The girl slowly stirred. Shuddering, she pushed her hands into the ground, forcing herself to sit up. She spat out the blood in her mouth and wiped her face with her sleeve. She stood up with jerky movements, dusting herself before she hobbled away. Her pace was slow. Beatings weren't new to her but it had been a long time since she had bruised so badly. She stopped every ten paces, breathing heavily. She left the busy market and the clean streets behind.

Now the houses were smaller and dirtier, streets were narrower. Dirty, snakelike alleys wove into labyrinths of stairs, levels and gullies where the seedy underbelly of the capital flourished. Thieves, beggars, and prostitutes called murky quagmire home. She looked around. Satisfied that she was alone, she ducked behind a ramshackle wall that overlooked a small space surrounded by four walls. It had no ceiling but was surprisingly clean.

Two boys, about eighteen years of age, sat there. A small pile of food languished in front of them as they waited. They gasped at the sight of the girl.

"Misao! Good grief! What happened?" The taller of the two immediately stood up and helped her sit down. She looked at him gratefully.

"I'm fine Shiro. I got caught when I was sneaking out of the place." She winced and gingerly scraped some dirt and blood off her neck. "But it's alright. It's not as awful as it looks. And look! I got a whole portion of tofu and some rice!" Her shining eyes defied the pain in her limbs.

The boys looked concerned but they didn't press the matter. If they persisted in questioning her, Misao would just get embarrassed. They nudged the pile of food towards her, insisting she begin. Hunger and hurt were too familiar to them to dwell over. Besides they had to move soon. No place was safe for too long in Thieves Quarter. If it weren't other thieves or the warders of the gates plaguing them, it would be the imperial guards, who would catch them, throw them into prison or worse, send them to the slave market. A slave was a sight better than a thief or a beggar. The standing law was that the first two times a thief was caught, he'd be let off with a beating, the third time it would be the slave market and if the thief were caught once again, (heaven preserve him) he'd be sent to the public executioner.

They had learnt to deal with trouble the hard way. They looked out for each other, keeping each other alive and out of trouble, as far as they could manage it. But they were thieves; trouble was an occupational hazard they couldn't do without. They ate in silence, until Misao finished her share. She wiped her mouth then looked at the other two.

"Have you heard? There is going to be a war soon. Kutoe will soon invade Konan and add it to the empire."

Kuro snorted. "So what? We're still going to be stuck in this hellhole, running each time we hear a guard or a warder coming."

Shiro nodded. "He's right. The only ones who ought to be worried are the merchants and the nobles."

"How can you act as if it doesn't matter? We're part of the empire too, aren't we? Our country is going to war. We should all be concerned!"

The boys stared at her. A bat squeaked from a crevice in the wall overhead. "There spoke the empress," Kuro said dryly. Shiro burst out laughing and stopped short when he saw Misao frowning. He sighed and packed up whatever was left of the food, which wasn't much; one piece of dried bread and half a dried apple and some cheap sake, filched from a drunkard outside a portside tavern. "Really Misao, it has nothing to do with us."

Misao rolled her eyes. "Really? Alright then, tell me something, all those people who are going to lose their homes and families in the war, where do you think they will eventually end up? Here, of course!" She picked up a twig from the ground and looked at it thoughtfully. "The going will get tougher for us. More thieves mean more guards." She bent the twig. It snapped.

Shiro and Kuro exchanged glances. She was right. It was hard enough dodging the guards as they were placed now but if more people arrived in Thieves Quarter, hiding places would become scarcer. The warders' power would increase and they would have to resort to fighting more often. Fighting almost always led to someone or the other getting killed. It would become unbearable. If the disturbance grew then the magistrates of the city would order the guards to grab as many people from Thieves Quarter as they could. Then prison, slavery or death. They could take a pick from those three.

"We had better get to work if we want to eat at night. Misao, don't worry, things will be alright." Shiro replied decisively. He didn't want them worrying about things that may never happen. If there were anything to worry about, they'd worry when the time came. Misao sniffed. Rubbing her nose, she looked up and smiled. The three parted ways. They had work to do, places to go, things and food to steal.

Misao scrubbed her face clean and braided her long hair once more. She was a pretty girl and had learnt to use it to her best advantage. She used to frequent the streets and promenades weaving through the prosperous neighborhoods of the city. She would cast down her eyes and flutter her eyelashes, playing at being helpless and utterly alone in the big, bad city. Wouldn't the kind gentleman help her out? She was willing to do _anything _to pay him back for his kindness.

Ten minutes and a sharp rap on the head later, the gentleman would wake to a splitting headache and a near naked state, lying in a dark alley he didn't remember wandering into and the girl who had promised him a good time, nowhere to be seen.

Misao giggled as she thought of all the men she had fooled. She was walking along happily when a town crier called out, 'make way! Make way for Lady Yukishiro!' She turned to look. A carriage was coming down the street at breakneck speed. All the people in the street hurried out of the way. It sped past Misao, leaving behind a large cloud of dust.

Two women sat inside the carriage. The younger of the two had long raven black hair that hung like a curtain down her back. She was very beautiful. Her hands were elegantly folded in her lap. Her grip on the delicate ivory fan clasped in her fingers grew tighter with every passing second. Her companion didn't seem to notice her discomfiture since her monologue continued without pause. One article of gossip swiftly replaced another. Scandals, disgrace, honour and respectability, she ran through all of these, emphasizing the importance of conduct all for the benefit of the young woman who was, unfortunately paying no attention.

"...I was so utterly mortified, really I can't explain how nervous I felt just looking at her audacity. It was positively terrifying, that woman has no decency whatsoever; not even a shred of it. There she was, standing in the middle of the walk and her husband not two streets away, talking to that man she calls her cousin but everyone knows he is really her lover. Meirou was telling me how she sees him sneak into their palace every single day and I thought good heavens does she have no sense of propriety at all? What is a noblewoman without honour? Nothing I tell you. A noble may live without money or servants or a palace but we cannot live without honour, and it's denigrating to think of the mockery she's made of it. Did I tell you I met Lady Katsura the other day? She is just delightful, so quick-witted and yet so kind, but we hardly had enough time to talk because that dreadful Lord Kanryuu just had to show up at that very instant, fortunately I was rescued by Captain Sagara, he's a thorough gentleman. Did you hear what he did now? I heard that he went and serenaded Megumi Takani at night! When I first heard, I thought how romantic it would have been but then I found out that he was quite drunk at the time and so her uncle's guards chased him away. Isn't it funny? I haven't laughed so hard in years and last I heard, Megumi was refusing to leave her room until the captain leaves for battle, tragic isn't it, he loves her so much yet she doesn't even want to see his face, well I just thought that…Tomoe? Tomoe? Are you even listening to me?"

The young woman rolled her eyes. She opened her fan and snapped it shut again. Tossing her hair over her shoulder. She turned to face her mother and spoke in a sugary sweet tone.

"No Mother, I am not, I am not in the least concerned in listening to you prattle on about Lady Takahashi and her lover, nor am I concerned with Sanosuke and Megumi's love life, do you understand? They do not matter to me; as far as I'm concerned they don't even exist! Now will you please stay silent and let me have some peace?"

"Tomoe Yukishiro! Do not presume that you can speak to your mother in that manner, young lady!"

"Agreed, provided you stop boring me by talking about these people."

"These people? Tomoe, these are the people with whom we associate every single day. I think it's time you started to get interested in them."

"So what? It's not like it matters whether or not I talk to them."

"Oh but it does. An attitude like that will win you no friends Tomoe."

"I don't need friends."

"Tomoe, you have to be more patient. I admit it's hard getting along with everyone but you must at least make an effort to do so."

"Why? I see no need to do so."

Lady Yukishiro sighed. "If your father had been a king and you a princess, it certainly would not have mattered what you thought about any one since you would be far above it all to be affected, but since that is not the case, I will appreciate it if in future you learn to be a bit more courteous and amiable when you deal with other ladies of the Court. Beauty alone counts for nothing. It's important to have a heart and a manner that matches with your beautiful face. Do you understand, Tomoe?"

"I may not be a princess today, but that doesn't mean I won't ever be one." Tomoe replied softly. She gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"What? What are you talking about?" Lady Yukishiro asked. Tomoe's demeanor puzzled her.

"I wasn't born a princess but I could become one." She started playing with her hair even as her mother's face drained of color as she slowly began to comprehend what Tomoe was talking about.

"Stop speaking in riddles Tomoe. You're making me very anxious."

Tomoe laughed. "Anxious? Why on earth are you feeling anxious? Well, don't worry, once you hear what I have to say, your anxiety will completely disappear and you'll be so happy you might become delirious!" She laughed again.

"Tomoe…" She was getting weary of her daughter's little game.

"Oh alright. You have no patience honestly. I'll tell you. Mother I am going to be a princess soon, because Prince Kenshin is going to marry me! He is in love with me and he will marry me soon and I will become princess and when he ascends the throne I will become Empress!!! Imagine Mother, Tomoe Himura, Empress of Kutoe! Isn't it fantastic?" Tomoe blurted out in joy.

She looked like a child who had been given her favorite toy. Her eyes were shining and her skin shone with delight but her mother's face told a different a story. The anxiety she had begun to feel was gone. The only feeling that remained now was shock, fear and dread. But she betrayed none of these feelings to her daughter. Lady Yukishiro realized that Tomoe was not entirely aware of the implications of what she had just said. Her daughter's vile temper was very familiar to her. She didn't want to risk creating a scene. Right now, keeping Tomoe calm and silent was of utmost importance to her.

She gently put her arms around her daughter and spoke, "Darling, every girl in the palace dreams of marrying him."

Tomoe drew back. Her eyes narrowed. "Let them dream. He is mine. Mine alone."

"Tomoe, did…I mean, has the prince ever told you that he loves you?"

"No…but he will."

Lady Yukishiro sighed. "Tomoe…"

"I know what you're thinking. But he will! He will!"

"That's enough, Tomoe! Why didn't you tell me any of this before now?"

"Going by your reaction, it's a good thing I didn't tell you till now, you would've forbidden me to ever speak to him again!" Tomoe exclaimed accusingly.

"And with good reason! This is rank foolishness. You're indulging in an infantile fantasy that has no basis in truth. You should stop this stupidity at once!"

Tomoe let out a sound of annoyance. Her eyes flashed in fury. "You're the one who's being stupid, Mother! You don't realize! You don't know! I am going to become the Empress!"

"I don't know what's in your head, Tomoe. A delirious girl doesn't decide an imperial marriage. The Emperor decides them. Do not think for a minute that the Emperor will allow this! The prince's life belongs to _him_. _He_ will choose the girl to whom he is to be married, and one more thing, you can be certain, the girl he marries will also be a princess."

"Mother!" Tomoe sounded aghast.

"There is not even a fraction of the possibility that the crown prince will wed a girl who is not of royal blood. Why don't you understand?"

"Why don't _you_ understand?" Tomoe whined.

"What do you want me to understand? That the prince has not told you that he loves you but that he will? That he has made you no promise of marriage but he will? He has no intention of doing any of those things Tomoe. If he had he would have done so by now."

"I have heard just about all I can from you. I refuse to listen to any more of your harrowing pessimism, so just be silent. I know what I'm doing. I wasn't born yesterday!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," she trailed off. She straightened all of a sudden and clasped Tomoe's shoulders. "Tomoe! You haven't…_please_ tell me you haven't done anything that would…" she stopped, too ashamed to ask what she feared in her heart.

Tomoe looked at her haughtily. "What's the matter, Mother? Aren't you going to finish that sentence?"

"You know what I was about to say so just answer my question Tomoe."

"I don't see how it matters in any case. I've done nothing wrong. I'm in love and the gods don't forbid anything when you're in love." She stroked her collarbone.

"Good heavens Tomoe! Aren't you scared?"

"Crowns do not remain on heads that are scared, Mother."

"They do not remain on heads that are empty either."

Tomoe frowned angrily. She turned away and stared outside. The carriage stopped. They were inside the Central Court. "You will be proved wrong Mother. You'll know I'm right when Kenshin comes to claim my hand."

"I pray for your sake, that I am proved wrong."

Tomoe stepped out. Not bothering to wait for her mother, she hurried up the steps that led to the promenade in front of the Central Court. The Council Chamber and the main reception halls were located in this court. Many of the important nobles of the emperor's court also had their palaces here. Central Court was a marvel of architecture. It's halls and chambers complemented with gardens, ponds, and streams flowing through the length of the Palace. Bridges connected the five principle courts that made up the Imperial Palace. Sentries were housed and horses were stabled on a lower level, where the carriages would arrive from the roads of the city. The blacksmith forge and armoury was also located here. Every part of the palace was built in harmony and each aspect possessed beauty, reflected in the ingenuity and practicality applied to each edifice. But all of this was lost on Tomoe.

She was oblivious to the structures below the promenade. The stables, the forge, and the armoury were unimportant and useless in her view. She existed only for the polished corridors and the resplendent rooms of the palace. What didn't concern her daily routine was negligible. She paused for a moment at the head of the stairs. Entering the palace, she took a right turn.

She wondered where Kenshin could be at the moment. She hadn't met him in days. He had been very distant the last time they had been together as well. He had seemed lost in some deliberation of his own and wouldn't tell her anything. When she had tried to kiss him, he had stopped her.

"_What's wrong Kenshin? Is something the matter?" She looked at him closely. He removed her arms from his neck and leaned back into the cushions on the bed. He propped an elbow on his knee and looked away._

"_No. Everything's fine."_

"_Then…why are you acting so distant?"_

_Kenshin smirked. Tomoe noticed that he was sitting in a manner that made it difficult for her to put her arms around him. He looked at her with a mocking smile on his face._

"_Suddenly, you're my keeper."_

"_I just…you never tell me anything. You're always treating me like I'm a stranger Kenshin, even after…"_

"_I'm sorry you feel that way."_

"_Don't talk down to me Kenshin!" He looked surprised at her sudden outburst._

"_I wasn't. You're imagining things. Anyway, I have to go. You should get dressed." He stood up and walked over to where his katana stood against the wall. Tomoe stared at him. _

"_Kenshin!" She called out._

"_Yes?" He looked puzzled._

"_You're leaving?"_

_He nodded. "There's a war I must prepare for."_

"_But I thought you and I would spend the whole day together." Tomoe pouted prettily, her lower lip jutting out just a little. _

"_I'm afraid I don't have that luxury Tomoe."_

"_You can't treat me like this Kenshin." She shook with anger. Her voice suddenly became hard and unwieldy._

_He stopped and turned around. He walked back towards the bed and sat down. Looking at Tomoe, he cupped her cheek with his hand. "Tomoe, have you ever held a snowflake in your hand?"_

_She frowned slightly. "Yes, many times. Why?"_

"_What happens when that snowflake lands on your skin?" He stroked her cheek his fingers slid down to her collarbone, hovering gently at the base of her throat._

_She swallowed. "It melts." She bit her lip and silently shut her eyes, willing Kenshin to continue caressing her._

_Kenshin smiled. His fingers stopped their dance across her neck. "Precisely." He stood up and walked towards the door. Tomoe's eyes flew open._

"_But, what does that have to do with us?"_

_He opened the door to leave. "Think about it. You'll understand. It's inescapable."_

She stopped when she saw the emperor, accompanied by Kenshin and Councillor Katsura walking unswervingly in her direction. Normally she would have been delighted to see Kenshin, but he wasn't alone today; he always acted aloof when someone else accompanied him. She turned around, frantically searching for her mother. It wouldn't do for the Emperor to see her walking about alone and unescorted. She quickly stepped out of sight and walked back the way she had come. Once she found Lady Yukishiro, she all but dragged her back to the corridor where the emperor stood talking to his heir and his chief Councillor in low tones. They reached in time to see the Councillor bow to his sovereign and his prince before walking away. Tomoe smiled sweetly and cleverly stepped behind Lady Yukishiro. She held her fan up just below her eyes and glanced towards Kenshin. Lady Yukishiro bowed.

"Good afternoon, you majesty."

Hiko glanced at her. He smiled. "Lady Yukishiro, what a surprise! I hardly see you in the palace these days."

She rose elegantly. "Enishi finds it more convenient to reside near the military offices, so we decided to remain at the Southern court for the remainder of the season."

"Ahhh I see. I expect a lot from Enishi, I am happy to hear he's dedicating himself to his duties."

"He is eager to prove himself."

"So he should be." Having said this, Hiko inclined his head and walked away with a flourish. Kenshin followed him, without so much as a glance towards Tomoe. He knew his uncle disliked her and he didn't want to upset him one day before he left for battle. He admired Tomoe's beauty but there was little else about her that interested him. In fact, he suspected that much of his interest in her had peaked because of his Shishou's obvious disapproval of her. The truth was, he liked making Hiko nervous. He had enjoyed sending him into palpitations thinking that he had been completely captivated by her, whereas the attraction he had felt towards her had died away completely by now. She was undoubtedly beautiful but there was nothing about her that made him go insane or drove him wild. There was no trace of the passion Sano felt for Megumi.

And wasn't that supposed to happen when you were truly in love? To be able to see your entire world wrapped up within one person, to feel happy just by looking at her, finding all the happiness of the world in her arms and nowhere else. To know that you could go on living even if the whole world collapsed around you, if she were with you. That was love…well one aspect of it. A man could also go sick with love and lose himself in despair and pain. He could see it happening to Sano. It was terrifying. But he had never met anyone who made him feel even a fraction of that. He smirked. And he doubted that he ever would.

He looked up suddenly to find that he was alone in the corridor. The emperor had already entered the chamber where they were expected. He went in quickly to find Takasugi, their senior most general already seated opposite Hiko. He took a seat beside him bowing in greeting. Takasugi inclined his head.

"Are we ready, Takasugi?" Hiko questioned.

"Yes, your majesty. We await your orders." Takasugi replied.

"Very well then, there's no need to delay things any further. If everything is in order then we march in two days."

"It takes two days to reach Konan. Another day to penetrate the border and arrive at Shishio's court. Roughly five days till battle begins."

"Takasugi, I want a quick victory. Make sure things don't get drawn out. If it slows you down, don't bother to take prisoners, just kill them all." Kenshin looked up. Hiko looked very serious. Takasugi nodded slowly.

"Kenshin, have you decided who you want as your junior officer?" Takasugi said, looking at him.

"There's a slight change in plans. I don't intend to join you." He replied quietly. Takasugi raised both his eyebrows. He glanced at Hiko who didn't move a muscle.

Kenshin smiled at the puzzled expression in his general's eyes. "What I mean is I won't be leaving with the armies from Kutoe."

"Then how do you plan to join?"

"I will be in Konan when you strike. I'll leave tomorrow with Hannya. Aoshi is already in Konan with most of the Oniwabanshu. I will join them there and fight from within. They cannot sustain a battle both inside and outside the perimeter walls. It gives us a better opportunity to finish things up quickly."

Takasugi looked pensive. His lip curled. "The plan is a good one, but for one thing. Your appearance…I mean you would be recognized immediately. Your hair and your eyes, they would know who you are the minute they lay eyes on you and then you'd have a war started before we even reached the gates of the city."

"That must happen in any case. The battle inside the city must begin before you reach. That will serve to confuse them, they will wonder whether it's an external attack or a brawl that's escalated out of order during the festival."

Takasugi's smile widened. "Brilliant. But the matter of your appearance remains."

"I can hide my eyes and color my hair for the duration of the battle. It's no significant matter."

"You seem determined to go to Konan Kenshin." He sounded amused.

Kenshin looked up. Both Hiko and Takasugi were watching him with curiosity. Softly he said. "I am. I've heard so much about it from Aoshi. I want to see the city once before we destroy it."

"I'd never have pinned you down as a romantic Kenshin. But I'm not surprised, it's precisely the kind of silliness I've come to expect from my stupid apprentice."

Kenshin's eyes glinted humorously. "What do you suggest, my lord?" Takasugi turned to Hiko.

"Let him go. He can take care of himself. You will go on as discussed Takasugi."

"That's all very well but it leaves me with one officer less. I have Sanosuke but I will need one more what with Aoshi gone already and Kenshin leaving tomorrow." Takasugi replied grumpily. He glared at Kenshin for spoiling his plans. Kenshin suddenly found something very engaging to stare at in the map sitting on the floor.

Hiko raised an eyebrow. "Ahh, in that case," he stroked his chin thoughtfully, "take Enishi. He is eager to prove his worth to me and Okina is confident regarding his abilities."

Takasugi's eyes bulged a little. Kenshin also took his eyes off the map. "Enishi…Enishi Yukishiro?"

"How many Enishis do you know?" Hiko replied dryly.

"But your majesty, Enishi is untried, untested."

"He can learn in Konan." Hiko said dismissively.

"Your majesty, I am taking these men to a war, not target practice." The undisguised disapproval in his voice made Hiko smile.

"You would be surprised at how many wars turn into little more than target practice." The mirth disappeared form his voice as he fixed his general with a stern look. "Don't underestimate him. Okina does not praise easily and besides, how much harm could he do with you and Sanosuke around?"

"As you please, your majesty." Takasugi sounded a little miffed. He stood and prepared to leave.

"May the gods grant you strength and victory and may the dragons protect you in battle." Hiko dismissed Takasugi.

Kenshin turned to Hiko.

"Enishi?" He looked unconvinced. "Are you sure about this?"

"You know, your vanity and utter lack of faith in anyone apart from yourself _never_ fails to amuse me." Hiko ran his fingers through his silky, luxuriant hair.

"I'm serious, Shishou. He hasn't fought in a single battle. The only action he's seen is inside a dojo."

"All the more reason to shove him into this battle then." He unconcernedly inspected his nails before glancing at Kenshin.

"That is a very cavalier attitude."

"I've built an empire on this attitude, what are you trying to say?"

"That's its not a good idea to send an inexperienced officer out to the front line. Not only do we endanger a future commander of the army, we put the men in his unit at risk."

"Is that so? I seem to recall a certain inexperienced officer who was plunked into war in he desert seven years ago. He had barely finished his sword training. He had no battle experience whatsoever. But that officer returned home a hero. Do you remember?" Hiko looked at him with a sly expression.

Kenshin frowned, not happy with where the conversation had gone. "That…was different."

"Why? Because it was you?"

"No, of course not. I just hope you don't regret this." He gave up. It was useless trying to convince Hiko about anything. And it didn't matter any more. The orders had been given.

"I won't. Even if something goes wrong, you and Aoshi can always clean up the mess."

Kenshin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. A muscle in his forehead twitched. "How kind of you to have so much faith in us." He replied dryly.

"Oh I expect it. When are you leaving for Konan?"

"First light tomorrow. We should reach by evening."

"I see."

There was silence as neither spoke. Saying goodbye or farewell would seem too trivial and silly. It wasn't the first battle he was fighting in. And it wouldn't be the last. But still, Kenshin felt as if there was something he wanted to say. He felt different this time. Something was not normal. He felt as though something was going to happen, he didn't know what. There was no rational way he could explain why he had been feeling so jumpy of late. This battle was completely different; he knew this in his gut but why?

"Shishou, may I leave? There are a few things I need to take care of and I promised Megumi I would visit her before I left."

"Yes, of course. Go ahead…I will see you when you return."

Hiko never watched him leaving for a war. Never. He would always wait for him to return.

"Kenshin." He called out just as he was leaving.

"Yes, Shishou?"

"Bring me back something."

"Bring you back something?" Kenshin stared.

"Yes, anything. Surprise me."

**Author's Notes**

Hey everybody! This chapter took me a really long time what with the move and all. I just got my laptop a week back so it took me a while to get everything in order. I can't promise that updates will be faster in the future. But I'll try my level best to update all the fics in as fast as I can, like every two months or so.

Back to the story, I hope everyone who got really Kenshin-deprived in the last chapter is satisfied by this chappie.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and even to those who didn't. I just hope you review next time. Keep reading!!

Ja ne!


	7. The Light In Her Eyes

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: **Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form. Waaaaaaa…. Pass the Kleenex box.

**Rating**: T for language, violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 7: The Light in Her Eyes**

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**Konan**

Kansan, the royal seat and capital of the country of Konan is at its most splendid during the Harvest Festival. Every street is decorated with lanterns of red kite paper with silken tassels and every house repainted with the brilliant hue of red. It is a time to celebrate. The crops have been harvested and stored in warehouses and packed neatly in mounds lined with matted hay and jute. Travelers coming to Kansan for the first time are struck by the unending flow of red that envelops every house in the city. At the gates, the sentries keep a watchful eye on everyone who enters. Sentries and guards make timely appearances to stop any trouble before it starts. They cannot afford trouble, not now. Not while the festival is on and Kutoe's armies have probably begun marching towards their borders. The citadel was fortified and ready for battle. The sentry turned his attention back towards the peasants coming in through the gates and forced himself to smile.

He had to protect these people. They were his responsibility. And he was not one who would back away and cower from his duties. He stepped forward and helped a group of villagers move their cart from the middle of the gateway. One of the wheels was caught in a rut in the road. He waved away the ardent exclamations of gratitude. It was the least he could do. He may never have another chance to help.

Earlier that day, General Kamatari had summoned all the sentries of the perimeter wall and battlement.

"…_. I have no doubt that you all have heard the rumors floating around the palace about war with Kutoe. That is also the reason I wanted to speak to all of you myself. We are soon going to be at war. It is a war we cannot avoid. A war we cannot stop. This is not an argument of kings. It is a war we must fight to exist, to live. The emperor of Kutoe is not a man who believes in doing things by halves. He wants to invade Konan and brand it as his own. This is and forever will be unacceptable to us."_

He stopped and silently surveyed the faces of the men surrounding him. "We have challenged the might of the Lightening Emperor by refusing to kneel before him. The price of this defiance, this refusal to be ruled by anyone other than our rightful ruler will most probably cost us our lives. But we must not falter. These walls are entrusted to you gentlemen. The defenses on these walls must hold. The enemy must not find a gap."

The general's eyes seemed to bore into each one of them. His eyes shone with the light of purpose and committed resolve. He was unafraid. His courage and confidence gave them strength and the will to hope. Everything was not yet lost. They could pull through this.

_"May the gods in their heavens grant you strength. May your arrows and spears find their mark and may your resolve remain steadfast."_

So the sentry stood at his post, drawing himself out to full height and with his head held high. The villagers looked at him with awe-filled eyes. He smiled at every one who met his eyes, nodding in greeting silently vowing to protect them. _This wall will not fall, and you shall not be harmed. Come what may, with this spear and this sword I shall protect you till the last breath escapes my body. I will protect you._

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**Kutoe**

Megumi stood silently in the front garden of her house watching Kenshin walk away. He kept his promise. Kenshin had never broken a promise to her. Every time he had to ride to battle, she made him promise he would visit her before he left. He always came. Whether it was convenient or not, he always came. She would thank him for coming. He would laugh and call her silly. It was a ritual they had been playing with their whole lives. He had come to see her every time something important happened to him.

He had come before he left to train with Okina. He had come the first time he rode to battle, when he left to suppress the rebellion in the desert province in west Kutoe, when he was named Heir Apparent, and he had come now, as he prepared to ride to Konan.

The ritual never changed, it had not changed in all the years she had known him, but this time he broke the pattern. He stopped the game.

"Megumi, I can't take this." He held out a vial. It was the vial of medicine she gave him each time he left for a campaign.

She stared at him. He reached forward and took her hand, silently placing the vial in her palm and closing her fingers around it. She looked at the vial sitting in her palm and glanced up at him in confusion.

"But Kenshin, this is for you. Why are you returning it?"

"That vial isn't for me Megumi."

She frowned. "What are you talking about, you idiot? I made it especially for you. Look here Kenshin! I spent all last night preparing this medicine, so I will appreciate it if you stop throwing tantrums and just take it! It's better than anything you'll get on the battlefield, don't forget that."

"I know that. I know how good that medicine is, better than anyone. I've been relying on it every time I go to fight, since I don't even remember when, but now it's time you gave it to someone else."

"Someone else…" Her eyes opened wide. All the pieces fell in place. He knew. Megumi looked down at her feet, he knew what it had meant. Kenshin knew why she gave him this medicine. He knew why she insisted on him visiting her before he left. He knew it all. She raised her head and looked at him. In his eyes, the only thing she could see was understanding and gratitude, but no trace of the one thing she had been searching for in his eyes since they had been children. She didn't see love.

She stepped back and slowly sat down on a step leading inside to the house. She gripped the vial tightly in her fingers, shaking slightly. Kenshin sat down next to her, the warmth of his body washed over her like blanket. She looked at his face.

"Why Kenshin…. why are you asking me this? Why now?" Her eyes searched his face frenetically.

"It's time you moved on Megumi."

"How can you say that? Kenshin, does it bother you?"

"Yes, it bothers me that my friend is in pain, and she needs something I can't give her."

"I've never asked for anything from you Kenshin."

"No, you haven't. You've never asked for anything. But I want you to have what you want. What your heart desires. And it kills me to know I can't give you what you want."

Megumi took a deep breath and turned towards him. She raised her hand to touch his face. Emboldened by her own courage she cupped his cheek in her hand. Kenshin sighed softly and turned his face towards her.

She bit her lip. "Is it so hard, for you to love me? Am I not good enough?"

"Megumi! Don't think that even for a second. You're my friend, you hold up one corner of my world. But the love that you seek, is not me."

"Kenshin…" her voice quivered. She turned away. Kenshin placed a hand on her shoulder, softly applying pressure to it. Megumi curved her arms around him and pulled him closer. They sat like that for some time, tangled in each other's arms; neither of them spoke a word. There was nothing left to say. He gently pulled her arms away from his body and dried her tears. He picked up his katana and stood up. As he turned, a soft hand resolutely held on to his gi, refusing to let go.

Kenshin sighed. "Megumi let go."

Megumi sniffled. She shook her head.

Kenshin placed his hand over her fingers. "Megumi let go. I have to leave."

"No." She shook her head again and tightened her hold on his gi.

Kenshin turned around. Megumi was looking towards her feet, but she showed no signs of letting the fabric clasped tightly between her fingers free. Kenshin knelt so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"What will it take for you to let go my lady?" He smiled. Megumi looked back at him. After struggling with herself for a moment, she finally relented and smiled back.

"You don't fight fair Kenshin." She said quietly. Kenshin noted that she made no move to release him. He bent his head and nodded in agreement.

"I never have, have I?" He looked into her eyes once more, a mischievous grin lighting up his features.

"You can't make me stop loving you, and wanting you, you can't make me stop that."

Her words wiped the smile clean off his face. "Megumi…" He didn't know what to say.

"You can't ask me not to love you Kenshin. That's all I've done in my whole life. You can't expect me to stop now."

He stood up. The consternation in his heart was evident on his face. "Megumi! Stop! You're being completely unreasonable. I don't want you to waste your time over me. Megumi please, you can't keep saying things like that."

"Why not? You said what you wanted to. Now I will say what I have to Kenshin."

"But Megumi…." Kenshin didn't even realize when she let the cloth trapped between her fingers free. He only realized when Megumi came and stood in front of him. His eyes widened. She wasn't crying anymore, instead she looked like she was completely in control of her emotions and totally calm. He watched her in amazement as she cupped his face in her hands and lightly touched her lips to his.

He was stunned. He hastily raised his hands and grasped Megumi's shoulders, pulling her away from him. "What do you think you're doing Megumi! Get a hold of yourself!"

Megumi stared at him and began laughing softly when she saw the shocked expression on his face. "D-Don't look at me like that Kenshin."

Kenshin stepped away from her. Megumi held on to his arm, forcing him to listen to her. "You're not being fair Kenshin. At least listen to me."

He stopped.

"You're asking me to forget about you but Kenshin, I've been in love with you since I met you. You're all I've ever dreamed about. How can I just throw all of that away? I don't expect you to return my love but don't ask me to stop. Don't ask me to give you away."

"You're holding on to something that will never bring you happiness. I want to see you happy Megumi, madly, deliriously happy." Kenshin replied quietly. Megumi had been his angel ever since he had been brought to the palace. She was the sister he'd never had. He couldn't bear to watch her waste herself like this.

She was everything he admired in a woman but it was just not meant to be. He loved her like a man loves his best friend, but the passion and the ardour she deserved couldn't come from him. She had been waiting for him for so long that she had become blind to that which waited for her. That was why she had to stop thinking about him. He had to leave. The sooner he left, the easier it would be for her.

"Kenshin I can't… promise I'll forget you…but I just wanted to know…what your lips felt like. I know now." She let go of his arm, and picked up the vial from where she had placed it. She turned to give it to him once more, but he had gone. The courtyard was empty.

"Kenshin you idiot, you could have at least let me get used to not loving you. What am I supposed to do now?" She watched him walk away. Sighing, she turned around and walked back inside. She didn't notice the tall, brown haired man standing at the gate little way away, watching her intently.

Sanosuke leaned against a tree. He had arrived shortly after Kenshin but neither him nor Megumi had felt his presence. He was trying to understand what he had just witnessed. It was as if the mist surrounding Megumi had suddenly been swept away. Everything seemed so clear, so obvious now. It was Kenshin. Megumi had been waiting for Kenshin all this time. And he had been nothing more than a nuisance who wouldn't give up, who wouldn't stop chasing her. Damn, why Kenshin. Why not someone he could hate? Why him?

It was now or never. He stepped out from behind the tree and walked towards the house. The gravel of the garden path crunched loudly under his shoes. Megumi heard the sound of someone coming up the path. Her heart beat with excitement and she ran out thinking it might be Kenshin.

She stopped short when she saw who stood there. Sanosuke grinned, his eyes lighting up appreciatively as he memorized her from head to toe.

Megumi felt as though the air was sucked out of her lungs. He always made it so obvious. A smile stole across her lips and she felt a warmth glow deep inside her. It was something she had never experienced with anyone else but Sanosuke. He looked at her like one would look at a goddess. When he looked at her, she felt beautiful and more wanted than anything else in the world. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Like what you see, Sanosuke?" She asked coyly.

"Aa. You've always been a sight to heat up a man's eyes Fox. You own my heart. You don't need me to tell you that." Sano replied steadily.

Megumi laughed softly. She leaned against a balustrade. "What do you want Sano? If my uncle sees you here, you'll have more than just your little heart to worry about."

"I came to tell you I was leaving." He glanced around just in case the mask of Anger and Fury was lurking about.

"Oh? May the heavens be praised, at least now I can go out in public without fear of having a mortal shadow everywhere I go."

"That's cruel Megumi. You could've lied and told me you'd miss me."

"Hmmm yes I suppose I could."

"So you'd miss me?"

"About as much as one misses a hangnail." She laughed as Sano frowned over the comparison.

He sighed. "It is the fortune of a man to quietly stand and listen while insults are heaped upon him by the one person he cannot raise a finger against."

"Why _did_ you come to see me Sanosuke?"

"Don't you know?"

"Leave the jokes aside Sano."

"You're the one who's been joking Megumi. I've been absolutely serious."

"Sano, don't start that again. You can't be serious."

"Why not? Why can't I be serious? I've been serious about this for years Megumi. It's just you who refuses to accept that."

"Because you can't be!"

"Why the hell not?"

"You're too young, that's why! You can't possibly know what you're doing."

"I'm too young? What the hell do you mean by that Megumi? I love you dammit! But you just won't see that will you? You're so busy running after an illusion that you can't even see what's in front of you!"

"That's not true. I can see everything fine Sano!"

"Then open your eyes and see me. Look at me Megumi! I'm here, right here, right in front of you." Sano heaved a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair. He turned around and began to walk away towards the gate. Megumi stared after him.

"Wait, Sano! I don't understand…."

"I'll wait till you do then. Goodbye Megumi."

He walked out and smoothly mounted the horse waiting for him at the gate. When the dust from the horse's hooves settled, Megumi was still standing. Sanosuke's words had jolted her, forced her to think. Had she really been so blind chasing after Kenshin that she had disregarded Sano's feelings completely? But he was so young. How could she trust what he was saying? Time changes people, what if his feelings changed with time? Was she making a mistake not trusting him? Or was she just scared of facing someone unfamiliar? She had known Kenshin since they were children, he was so familiar that she felt safe around him but Sanosuke scared her. His unfettered passion would burn her and sweep her away. _I don't have the strength to take what he offers me._

* * *

**Konan**

The steady stream of travelers and villagers had trickled down to only a few people now. The sentries were busy urging people to hurry and enter the city before the gates were closed for the night. The sound of drums was the signal for the city doors to shut. The last villagers shuffled in and were taken aback by the splendor of the city. Kansan is simply breath taking. It seems as though the king has bested himself in making his capital more beautiful than it has ever been in its entire history. Gossip and speculation regarding the lavish treatment bestowed on the city fills the days of its citizens.

A small group gathered together at a small restaurant join in staking guesses as to the marvelous decoration of their beloved city. Townspeople and villagers alike listen with eager ears as two members of the lower nobility discuss the spending.

"The king is going to make an announcement, and by the looks of things, it will be something big."

"Yes, you're right. I have never seen the city look so beautiful."

"What could it be?"

"For your all years, you're all very stupid, aren't you?"

"Why? What do you mean?"

"Well it can mean only one thing, can't it?"

"Indeed. What can it be?"

The older nobleman leaned back in his seat and gestured for more sake. The shop owner quickly refilled his cup. The nobleman waited till he had everyone's attention. He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "His majesty King Shishio intends to announce his daughter's engagement."

"What?"

"Really?"

"Are you sure about this?"

The nobleman leaned back in his seat and enjoyed the delighted gasps and frenzied talk that erupted all around the table. People congratulated each other, and more rounds of sake were ordered. An old man up front began to sing in his wheezing voice, urging a bunch of young fellows to dance. Peals of laughter punctuated with drunken bursts of song marked the rest of the evening. No one noticed the two men who sat silently in a corner, observing the revelry, but not joining in.

The taller one wore a navy blue cloak that hid his face. The shorter one amongst the two wore a woven conical hat. His dark hair was tied into a ponytail, but the hat hid most of his face. High cheekbones accentuated an aquiline nose and a pair of firm lips and a strong chin. If the people gathered in the restaurant had been able to see his eyes they would have been shocked. His eyes were amethyst, prone to deepen to indigo and blaze into molten amber when the heat of battle engulfed them.

The men watched silently. They waited. The curtain at the door suddenly lifted and a slight boy stepped in. He was smiling and kept his hand lightly on the hilt of his katana. Kenshin felt a chill run down his spine as he watched that boy's smile. It was so incomprehensible. It held no reason. He narrowed his eyes as the boy walked towards the center of the group till he stood before the nobleman.

"Lord Hiroshi, you've been gossiping again. All the streets are buzzing with the news."

The man laughed. "Captain, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just taking a guess."

"Speculation of this sort might cause a frenzy among the people. You know well enough how dearly they love Princess Kaoru. Spreading news of her impending engagement before a royal announcement is unwise."

Kenshin bent his head slightly and strained to hear the rest. The man the boy addressed laughed once more. "Really Captain Soujirou, some things never change. You are and forever remain the king's man. I was overcome with happiness for the princess and thus couldn't help but tell the news to these fine folk. They are hardly about to cause trouble for it. But if it will appease your anger, I most humbly apologize." The man placed his hands on the ground and solemnly bowed before the boy.

The boy sighed. " I can find no fault with you Lord Hiroshi. The announcement will be made soon enough. Till then, kindly desist in spreading the news further."

The boy turned to leave. As he passed the table closest to the door, he stopped and looked towards its occupants. Kenshin tensed. He could feel Hannya coil in anticipation. The boy smiled.

"I'm sorry. I don't recognize that garb. Are you from the south?" He slowly approached.

Kenshin smiled. Masking his voice with a thick southern Konan accent, he spoke, "Yes, we came to see the festival. We've never been this far north before."

The boy peered at Hannya, who hadn't lifted his hood. "I see. Your friend seems shy." He reached out to lift the hood. Kenshin swept the hat off his head, and grabbed the boy's arm, stopping him from unmasking Hannya.

"That's not a good idea. My friend. …suffered an accident, he doesn't like his face being exposed to strangers. I'm sure a noble lord like yourself will not force him." Indigo eyes sent a firm message to Soujirou. The atmosphere grew tense. Even the revelers stopped and watched them nervously. Soujirou caught the panicked expressions the faces of the restaurant owner and the others. He relented and withdrew his hand.

"You have a strong arm." He commented. Kenshin inclined his head.

"I am a farmer, my lord. It takes a strong arm to sow seeds." Hannya winced inwardly. They were supposed to be keeping a low profile but at this rate the prince would incite a fight right here, right now. Soujirou raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He merely smiled and moved on. As he disappeared from the room, Hannya turned to his companion.

"I suggest we move on Kenshin, you've done enough here."

Kenshin grinned as he settled the hat upon his recently dyed hair again. "Really? I thought that was fun."

They both moved out. Hannya muttered under his breath, "fun indeed! The whole plan might have been spoiled. You can be so needlessly impetuous sometimes. And be careful with that, the color will wash out in water, so please be careful."

They separated at a crossroads. Behind them, two captains of the Konan army stood in silent companionship watching people come and go. Soujirou watched the two men he had been suspicious of inside the restaurant separate at a street. All his senses joined in screaming danger. He nudged Katsu.

"Watch them, put a man behind those two, quickly!" Katsu immediately set two of his soldiers to shadow the two Soujirou had indicated.

"Is something wrong Soujirou?"

"Yes, something is very wrong. That man, that man is no farmer." Katsu glanced at his colleague worriedly. Soujirou was ruffled about it. That meant it was serious. "There is going to be trouble soon. I can feel it in my bones. Keep watch Katsu."

"Soujirou! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to speak to General Kamatari. The announcement must be postponed. Something is about to go wrong. I have a bad feeling in my gut."

Katsu watched him walk away. As he turned his attention back to the street, he saw the soldier he had sent after the two men running towards him. The man stopped before him, panting.

"Captain, I lost him. He just disappeared."

"What! What do you mean 'he disappeared'?"

"Well, one second he was standing before me, the next he had just vanished. I don't know where he went."

"Fool! Find him. There will be no rest for you till that I know that man's whereabouts. Get to it!" The soldier ran off back in the direction he came. Katsu frowned. _Soujirou, what did you see in those two men?_

* * *

Kenshin wandered around, carefully watching the streets, memorizing the layout of the city. The cit was built on a chessboard design. Roads crisscrossed at right angles and they all spilt out into the main courtyard of the city, in the center of which lay the royal palace, which had a similar design. According to Aoshi, the palace was built as straightforwardly as the city. Walls enclosed courtyards that enclosed more walls, gardens and rooms. They had no defense if the walls were breached. The city would fall without fail.

He followed the street he was walking till he reached the central courtyard. The palace perimeter wall was visible. He was counting the number of sentries when someone jostled him. He turned in annoyance. People had started to crowd around. Some one important was coming.

A palanquin supported by horses was drawing towards him. The frame was built of dark wood and the curtains were crimson. He narrowed his eyes. It was certainly a member of the royal house, if the escort was anything to go by. His eyes widened as he recognized General Kamatari, Shishio's brother-in-law. Kenshin looked down, he tried to move back into the crowd, but there was no room. He could only pray that Kamatari's eyes wouldn't fall on him.

He stood rooted to his spot, eyes trained carefully on the ground. The people around him tried moving forward but were held back by the guards. Just as he thought the ordeal was over, something hit his foot. He searched the ground. He saw a flash. He bent carefully and picked the object up. It was a finely carved comb of jade; a slender chain of gold connected three rubies to it. Kenshin rubbed his thumb over the smooth comb appreciatively.

"Stop! I dropped my comb! Please stop!" A young girl's voice rang out. The palanquin stopped…right in front of him…not five inches from his face. The curtains were pulled aside. Kenshin raised his eyes and froze.

Years later, he would remember how he had been struck dumb when he first laid eyes on her. She wasn't the most beautiful girl he had ever seen but he had never seen eyes as alive as hers. They sparkled in amusement and laughed as joyfully as the girl they belonged to. In that moment, Kenshin felt sapped of all his strength. There would never be a moment when he was so vulnerable. They could have cut him down then and there, and he would not mind. As long as he could stand and watch those eyes smiling down at him. As long as he was the only thing those eyes were filled with.

A hand waved in front of his face. He blinked.

"Kaoru! Stop this disgraceful behavior at once!" An older woman drew the girl's hand inside.

"But Tae, he looks lost. And he has my comb. I want it back." She protested. The woman she addressed as Tae raised her hand regally, silencing her. She then turned to him.

"That belongs to the princess, young man. I will thank you to return it." She held out her hand. Kenshin stared at her palm. He stole a glance at the girl's face once more. As if in a daze, he placed the comb in her hand. When he glanced at the girl once again, her eyes widened. "Y-Your eyes…."

It was time to leave. He turned to go. "Wait!" The girl's voice called out. He did not stop. As he walked away, he heard other voices mingled with hers.

"Minx, what's this racket?"

"Kaoru, are you alright?"

"Your majesty, we really must make haste. The ceremony will be delayed if we do not hurry."

"Taro…that man…he…"

"Are you thinking of other men already? At least wait till you're married to Okita. Torment him once you're married minxlette."

"Really my lord, that is certainly not an appropriate thing to say to a young girl, especially one who is going to be engaged soon."

Kenshin walked faster till he could hear no more. He ran as fast as he could, away from the courtyard, away from her. He rounded a corner and stopped against a wall, panting slightly. He slid down to the ground. That girl…. her name was Kaoru. She was Konan's princess, Shishio's daughter. She was the daughter of the man who was his enemy by order of his emperor. He closed his eyes and her face flooded his mind.

He opened his eyes. She's Shishio's daughter and going to be engaged to some other man. His thoughts ran back to five months before when Aoshi had brought back Shishio's defiant answer. He had coldly mapped out Hiko's flawless plan to invade Konan down to the last detail, including the fate of its princess if she fell in their hands. But now the thought of something happening to her felt wrong.

He forced his tense muscles to relax. He took a deep breath and smiled. _She has beautiful eyes. _And she's certainly different. He chuckled as he remembered her retort to the lady accompanying her. _Tae, he looks lost, and he has my comb. _

"It must have been something really amusing to have you in splits like this." A voice floated out from behind him. Kenshin's smile widened. He turned to find his cousin sitting quietly on an upturned barrel behind him.

"Aa. It was very amusing indeed. Had you been there, I do not doubt you would have found it very amusing too."

"Is that so? I wonder what our esteemed uncle would have to say about this latest escapade of yours." Aoshi stepped off the barrel and came to kneel behind Kenshin. He picked up a pebble and aimed to throw it into an unused vat of water.

Kenshin frowned. Aoshi glanced at him. "It's one thing to help a lady and a completely different one to start dreaming about her."

"I am not dreaming about her. What's in your head cuz?"

"Beshimi tells me you were transfixed and that he's never seen you so fascinated, that you even forgot not to let her or anyone else see your eyes." Kenshin passed a dirty look to Beshimi who promptly hid behind his master, but not before winking mischievously at his prince.

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill." Kenshin stood up to leave. Aoshi grabbed his elbow. Kenshin snapped his head back and glanced venomously at him. Aoshi flinched inwardly but stood his ground.

"You are the spearhead of this campaign Kenshin. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. She is the enemy, and that's all there is to it."

"I know what I'm doing Aoshi. Who the hell cares about her?" He shrugged out of his grasp.

Aoshi persisted. "You're forgetting something. I have seen her, observed her. I would think no less of you if you are captivated by her, but now is not the time. You cannot afford to let your guard down."

"I know that." He shoved Aoshi's hands off his arm. Aoshi sighed. He turned and issued a few instructions to Beshimi to deliver to the rest of the Oniwabanshu stationed inside the city.

He approached Kenshin gently but relaxed when Kenshin turned to him and smiled faintly. He sat down beside him. Kenshin grinned. He nudged his grave companion.

"Aoshi, she has beautiful eyes doesn't she?"

Aoshi sighed. "Yes she does."

"Whom is she getting engaged to?"

"Okita Souji, he's a nobleman from the south."

"Aa."

"What are you thinking?"

"I hope I meet him soon."

"Kenshin…" Aoshi growled warningly only to receive a smirk in response.

"He has what I want. How can I let him go that easily?"

"Kenshin!" Aoshi exclaimed in annoyance.

"Don't worry. I know the plan, nothing will stop it."

Suddenly the skies burst in a riot of colors. Fire works clouded the firmament. The city danced in merriment. There was cheering, dancing, singing, the revelry had begun anew. The princess was engaged. The city celebrated without a care in the world. The people who were swarming the streets were oblivious to the taut tension that lurked in the eyes of the very persons they were celebrating. From a distance, a miniscule army of deadly ninjas awaited the signal for them to spark the fires of war and a restless princess found no sleep as she found herself haunted again and again by a pair of violet eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

And here you go they have finally met!!! Yayyyy, I'm so happy! Someone bake me a cake….errrr….well….if you want to that is…no pressure.

For everyone who reviewed last time, a great big huge GIANTPANDAHUGGLE!!! For those who didn't…well what are you waiting for? Review!

I hope you guys like this chapter. Really. :D

'Hiroshi' means generous child in Japanese. It suits the gossipy nobleman since he's like a child and quite generous with information. :D


	8. To Live For

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: **Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form. Waaaaaaa…. Pass the Kleenex box.

**Rating**: T for violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

A HUGE round of applause for my lovable reviewers. I am really sorry I haven't had time to answer everyone's questions. Yeah yeah, I know. Shame on me. Please overlook it this time. I will answer all your questions soon. Very soon. Heh.

Hope you like this chapter!!

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 8: To Live For**

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"Anything worth living for," said Nately, "is worth dying for." "And anything worth dying for," answered the old man, "is certainly worth living for."

(Joseph Heller, _Catch 22_)

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* * *

Soujirou ground his teeth in annoyance. His ever-present smile faltered, and the corners of his mouth drooped as he stared straight ahead. He stood stiffly at a watch post on the battlement. He'd sent the sentry off duty stating that he wanted to be alone and that he wasn't to be disturbed by anyone or anything. The fact that he wasn't paying attention to the watch and not registering anything that fell in the line of his vision added to his growing list of grouses. His mind was wandering and there was little he could do about it. They weren't listening to him. They didn't grasp the seriousness of the situation. Instead, to add insult to injury they insisted that he'd been working much too hard and perhaps should rest and allow his 'tired mind' to relax. 

He wasn't being delusional. In fact, he had never been delusional in his life. He knew danger when he felt it. He knew what he had seen, and he understood what he had felt when he talked to those men. They weren't ordinary farmers or traders. They were hiding something. The auras surrounding them were enmeshed with blood. They carried the scent of the battlefield with them; it was what had alerted him to their presence in the first place. Their very bearing set them apart from the rest of the people gathered at the teashop. It was a rare instance when his senses had joined in screaming danger but strangely his mind hadn't made a move to pursue the matter at that moment. He let them out of his sight for only a minute and when he returned, they had left. It had been too late. They were lost in the crowds that thronged the markets and streets. Where was he supposed to find them now?

He'd even told that idiot Katsu to keep an eye on them, but that fool lost track of them in less time than it would take for him to draw his sword. Trust that moron to do nothing right. It was like what they said. If you want a job done properly, do it yourself. But his seeming inability to find even a trace of that strange pair of men was becoming inconvenient. He had no leads apart than their appearance, and appearance counted for nothing. If they really were from the enemy camp like he suspected, they would be prepared to change appearances as many times as was needed for their purposes.

General Kamatari had been sympathetic and heard him out in all sincerity. He had allowed to him to take a team of trusted men and scout out the intruders but nothing had turned up. Two days and two nights of restless searching had yielded no results. He had painstakingly sieved through every street, every nook and cranny of the city but he couldn't find them again. Eventually, he was forced to disband the search parties. Understanding as he was, General Kamatari had told him categorically that he couldn't afford to let some of his finest men wander around the city on a wild goose chase while the enemy was sitting at their doorstep. If those men had been spies, they must have left the city by now to join their own armies.

"_General! I am telling you those men might still be here. We have to keep searching." _

_Kamatari drew a long breath before speaking. "Look Soujirou. It's been two days. You've searched everywhere, I know you have. You've gone just about insane in these past two days. Now I understand how you're feeling but let's face the facts here, shall we? Those men have probably gone by now. There's no further use in trying to find them in the city. It'll just be a waste of time and that's the one thing we're falling short of right now."_

"_But General! This is serious! We are so close to finding them. It won't take more than a day."_

"_Soujirou, I can't give you a day. Look at your men, they're exhausted. You need to rest them before we go into battle."_

"_But they're here! I can feel it!"_

"_That's quite enough Soujirou! I can understand what you must be feeling and how frustrating it all must seem at this moment but getting worked up like this isn't going to help anyone. I won't stop you from looking for them. But I cannot allow you to drag your men along. If you'd take my advice, you'd take some rest too. You're over-exerting yourself. It's not healthy."_

Soujirou frowned. General Kamatari was absolutely right and there were few things he could say to counter him. He hated feeling helpless and confused. Uncertainty concerning anything suffocated him. Breath from his lungs and reason from his mind was stolen away when he felt confused. He was left as fragile and weak as a piece of rice paper that could be crumpled and thrown away when its usefulness was over. Confusion, uncertainty, indecision were all weak and debilitating emotions. Soujirou had no use for them. His strength was his consistent and unchanging control.

Control. His absolute control over himself was reflected in the deadly play of his sword, and his smile. His smile deflected his every emotion. Pain and injury, loneliness and confusion, anxiety and even fear, everything was wiped away. His smile was a smile that knew no meaning and held no implication. His subordinates often joked amongst themselves, _if Soujirou doesn't smile; you're done for, if he smiles, you're good and buried_.

He would not waver and get flustered over this. Soujirou closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he cast his eyes across the palace walls, as far as he could see. Nothing but farms and fields for miles around. At the edge of the horizon, facing north he could see the pale outline of the Blue Mountains, beyond which lay the vast empire of Kutoe. Konan had long since relinquished any claim it had made on the mountains. Kutoe was welcome to claim those harsh mountains as its territory.

Now that he thought about it, it had started with the mountains, then the bridge crossing the river, then the trade routes leading out towards north and west. Gradually, the border conflicts had gotten edgier and attempts to intervene diplomatically shot down by emissaries of the larger kingdom. Konan had held its peace for a very long time before plunging its future into uncertainty by casting off the façade of compliance. The necessity of appeasing the dragon of the north has disappeared instantaneously. The immediate effect had been one of exuberance. Those who had been present in the Throne Room to witness His Majesty dismiss the Kutoe emissary's proposition flat out remembered the electricity that seemed to glance off the walls and shoot out towards the king and the enemy envoy, engulfing them as they glared at each other.

The moment was diffused just as swiftly when the envoy bent his head, accepting His Majesty's answer. Soujirou remembered gripping the hilt of his sword till his knuckles turned white with strain, even as the smile remained plastered on his face. Beside him, General Kamatari dug his nails into the palm of his hand, drawing blood as the silence dragged on. The cold ice of Shinomori's eyes held the promise of certain destruction, of death and of ruin for Konan. Of all the men present in the hall at that time, only King Shishio seemed unaffected by the furious ki that was emanating from Shinomori Aoshi. The rest of them had instantly stepped into defensive stances for no reason. After all, it wasn't as if he would have attempted to even draw his sword. Doing so would be a grave insult to Konan but more so to his own emperor.

The position of an emissary is not a simple one. He is guarded by the might of his emperor yet he is still powerless. The nature of the emissary often makes or breaks agreements between kings. If an emissary is too haughty, he may provoke the ruler enough to cause a permanent rift, but if his tongue and manner is smooth, it is enough to prevent bloodshed and war in even the most drastic circumstance. Hated as they were, emissaries were nonetheless given great respect; however this respect varied from kingdom to kingdom. It was not unheard of to hear of emissaries being slaughtered in the courts of hostile kings. But those that would harm an emissary had no honour. They didn't deserve to be called kings that would allow an emissary to be harmed in their realm.

The honour and pride of a king is upheld in the honour of his warriors. If a king's men do not conduct themselves with the honour that is due to their station, they jeopardize not just their stature but also that of their king.

Soujirou smiled. On good days, when he was popular with the fickle gossips of court, he was referred to as King Shishio's exemplary warrior, on the days where they felt less than civil towards him; he was dismissed as the King's shadow and a perennial sycophant. They didn't realize the dishonour they did their King by even suggesting such a thing. King Shishio was too sharp to allow any sycophant to curry favour with him. If the king trusted him, it was because he had forged ties of trust with his actions; he had fought tooth and nail for that trust, he had bled for it.

Soujirou bent his head and looked at his hands. The fingers were long and tapered. The skin was taut, firm and without a blemish, like the hands of a lady. He turned them over to look at his palms. The hard calluses betrayed evidence of years of stern training with the katana. The callused skin was beautiful to him. It was the measure of the man that he was. His entire world was his skill and his sword. What he could do for King Shishio by virtue of his sword was the only thing that concerned him. His strength was his loyalty. The strength only he and no one else could bring to King Shishio. There was perhaps nothing he wouldn't do for him. He had King Shishio to thank for even being alive. He would gladly have succumbed to death if the king hadn't stepped in and plucked him out of the hellhole that had once been his home.

He remembered as if it were yesterday.

* * *

He was not the happy child of a legal union. His father's family took him in only under the duress of his will. According to the document, he was supposed to be raised as a son of the house, but in reality he was little more than a slave. He wouldn't call it living. His soul, his heart was caged in misery and despair. The law of the land stated that he be treated as a member of the family but the laws of the house dictated that his life be held hostage to the hatred they bore his father for siring him. His only answer to the humiliation and shame thrust upon him was to smile. He smiled when they beat him, when they called him names, when they refused him even a morsel of food. He smiled. He had accepted it as his lot in life. It was his fate to be miserable and one day his soul would escape the cage that tied it to this world. He would be free of misery in death.

So he began to seek death, like a ship lost at sea searches for the stars that will guide the way to shores of land. Death was going to be his release but, his plans were ruined by his own smile.

It had been a day like any other. He was hauling sacks of rice on his back from one warehouse to another, when he was called by one of the masters of the house, one of his father's legitimate sons. He was to accompany him into the market. In other words, he was the human pack horse. He smiled and followed his brother out of the house. As they walked through the bazaar, the tantalizing aroma of food wafted in and out of his nose, distracting him, alluring him to turn and stare and imagine those tasty morsels of food in his hands, and oh heaven be kind, in his mouth. He stared and dreamed and unknowingly walked straight into his brother. The tea hissed as it fell down his brother's robes, but nothing jarred his senses like the screams of pain that came out of his brother's mouth.

Soujirou waited. The rage that was evident in his brother's face would soon devour him. Death had come; it had arrived in the form of a cup of hot tea. He smiled and closed his eyes. The first hit came slower than expected. His eyes followed the path of the blade as it swung to cut him. His shoulder gushed with blood and his lungs rasped in protest. He opened his eyes and watched the man towering over him and not knowing what else to do, he smiled. The slap against his cheek lowered his gaze.

"You worthless son of a whore! You bastard! Look what you did! I am going to kill you, you hear me I'll kill you!" His brother's screaming rang out in the clear sunshine. Surprisingly, nothing else could be heard. The usual noise and bustle of the bazaar had died out. Were they so eager to see him die? Rough hands grabbed him by the throat and thrust him up towards the sky. A fist rolled back and was about to strike his cheek when a clear, majestic voice cut through the cacophony of curses let loose by his brother and reached his ears.

"Put that child down."

Nobody moved. He moved his head slightly to see who had spoken. His eyes swam in his head before they landed on the tall figure of a man dressed like a warrior. The man slid off his mount with a grace that impressed him. He tethered the stallion to a tree and calmly walked towards him. His brother narrowed his eyes and turned threateningly towards the stranger but he did not loosen his hold on the child. The man watched silently for a few minutes.

"I asked you to put the child down. Did you not hear me?"

"Who the hell are you?"

A second man accompanying the stranger burst forth onto the scene. He looked as though he might choke when he heard this. Red in the face, almost bursting with indignation, he blurted out, "You impudent imbecile! Are you telling me you do not know who this is?"

The awe-filled look he gave the stranger had sobered his brother somewhat but not enough to make him realize his folly. The stranger merely smiled and held his hand up majestically. The elegance of the gesture alone should have alerted him, but he was blind to the subtle symbols that the stranger was showing of his identity.

Once again ignoring the stranger and his companion, his brother dropped him to the ground and began pounding him mercilessly. The light of the sun dimmed with every blow he felt on his body. The blows stopped suddenly. He was still alive though. He slowly picked himself up from the ground, and gazed up at the sky. He wiped the blood from his eye, and looked up to find the stranger watching him thoughtfully. He smiled because ….. that's what he did; he smiled. Something shifted in the stranger's eyes. He held a hand out to his companion who wordlessly placed a square of cloth in his hand. The stranger knelt and held it out to him.

As he stretched his hand forward to take it, a kick from behind threw him off-balance. He fell forward. His cheek hit the road. He could see the boots of the stranger in front of his eyes. As he lay there, in the dust and the blood that was seeping from his shoulder, he heard his voice again.

"If you do not get up now, you will probably die. This man will keep hitting you and you will keep bleeding till you no longer have the strength to move. What do you suppose will happen then?"

He moved his head to look at him. His face held no pity, no sympathy but it held something he had never seen in anyone's eyes before. Expectation. He was expecting something out of him, and for some strange reason, he didn't want to let him down.

"I will be left here to die…."

"That's right. I've had it with you. We've endured the shame of having to raise you for all this time but we will bear it no longer. With your death, I shall clear the name of the family, and restore its honour."

He felt the sting of water in his eyes. He sat up slowly and smiled.

The stranger asked, "Why are you smiling?"

"I don't know what else to do."

The stranger stood up and walked back to his stallion. Stroking the mane of the beautiful horse he spoke, "you are bound to this man by blood." The statement was a question.

He waited. The stranger's eyes pierced through his soul, taking in the misery and desire for death that he carried around like a familiar blanket.

"He is my brother."

"I see. And ties of family must be honoured above and beyond the responsibility you have to yourself to live. Isn't that right?"

"I …. I don't know Lord…"

"If there's a question you have been thinking about, now is the time to ask it."

"A question, Lord?"

"What do you intend to do with yourself and with your existence? You have strength, but you must find it on your own. I cannot do that for you."

"I don't understand Lord…."

"If you have the strength, then leave this man and come with me."

His brother realized what was happening at that very moment. The hatred and scorn he'd carried in his breast for the bastard surfaced once more and he burned at the thought of the boy escaping the misery of his life. He had no right to be happy, he was a bastard. He would live and die in shame and humiliation.

"What! Hey you! You can't take him anywhere. This boy belongs to my family."

"To your family? I have seen slaves treated better."

"What business is that of yours? He's my father's bastard. We should have left him to die or killed him ourselves a long time ago but we didn't. We decided to take pity on him and keep him. We've even jeopardized the family honour by taking him in. He couldn't repay our kindness even if he worked like a slave for a hundred years."

The stranger looked at him once more. "Do you hear that boy? You have the choice of serving your family like a slave till the day you die, or you can become a man and walk away from them, and see where your strength will take you."

His eyes widened. It was only one tiny step. One step that would take him away from the despair that had been his identity, his persona for as long as he had lived. Now he had a chance to break away and make his own road. Strength. The stranger had seen strength in him. But where? How could he see strength in him? Him who had never protested against the inhuman way his family treated him, who had never dared to step one toe out of line, who silently did what he was told without complaint. All he had was his smile. In his smile, he forgot everything.

Strength. Strength to walk away. Strength to live. Did he have that strength?

After what seemed like a decade, he placed a foot forward, towards the stranger.

"Soujirou! Don't you dare take one step forward! I forbid it!"

Gasping at his own courage, he took another step. The stranger raised his chin and waited. His brother rushed forward to stop him. He raised his hand and brought it crashing down. The force of the strike pushed him to his feet. He shuddered, but stood up again. He took another step forward. This time he didn't falter. He didn't hesitate when he saw the blow coming but effectively stopped his brother's hand with his forearm.

"No brother. I won't tolerate being beaten by you again. I am stronger than that. Thank you for taking care of me for so long. But it's time I struck out on my own. Please don't try to stop me. I've made up my mind. Goodbye." He stepped past him and walked towards the stranger. The stranger hoisted him up on the horse in front of him even as his companion stared with eyes as wide as saucers.

Of course it was only later that he learned the identity of his benefactor. He remembered his jaw dropping like a stone when the horse galloped inside the palace. The gates shut behind him and on his old life. That day, King Shishio won a vassal for life, and Soujirou Seta found a meaning to live for.

Strength.

* * *

Kenshin kept his eyes on the guards. There were two more on each battlement than yesterday. They hadn't broken the watch cycles even once. He narrowed his eyes. Shishio was apparently taking no chances. He smirked. This looked promising. At least someone had noticed that all was not well within the city. If that search was anything to go by, whoever it was had been shaken by their presence. Kenshin thought back to the day they had arrived in the city, to the day he and Hannya had separated. He bent his head. It was the same day that he had fooled one of Shishio's men in that teashop, pretending to be a farmer. He drew a swift breath and stared at the battlement again. It was also the day he'd seen _her_. The search had started the next day. He hadn't had a moment of peace since. They had been moving constantly to avoid the searching parties. They couldn't afford to be found just yet. He'd caught no sleep in these last two days. Although, he was certain that his lack of sleep had little or nothing to do with the men searching for them.

It wouldn't be long now. He had only to wait till night fell. Tonight the dam would break on Kansan and thousands of Kutoe soldiers would storm the city. Before they knew what was happening, he would unleash a wave of destruction within the southern quarter and move swiftly through the city. That was the plan. He sighed. Taking recent developments into account, the plan left a glaring gap where he was concerned. Initially Aoshi and he were supposed to storm the palace with the Oniwabanshu while Takasugi commanded the army outside the gates. Sanosuke would clear a way for the main army to enter the city and Enishi would assume responsibility for the campaign in the northern region of the city.

The plan was sound and flawless.

Or rather it had been sound and flawless. Until now. Not much had changed since he had left Kutoe but it was obvious to him that he couldn't see her being killed now. Being killed? He couldn't even bear to think of her getting injured as a result of their attack. And he couldn't change the plan or Shishou would slaughter him and leave his bones out for the dogs. What a mess! And if it weren't enough, Aoshi had been clucking around him like a mother hen for days, voicing disapproval whenever he got half the chance.

He closed his eyes and her face swam into view. He frowned but didn't open his eyes. The dream was too beautiful to shatter by letting the light of day into his eyes. It was better to sit still and simply soak in the light of her eyes. Eyes that sparkled, that invited him to gaze at them, eyes that laughed at him, told him he was being silly, eyes that held the promise of fervour, of passion, of joy. _What could I not do for those eyes? _The smile disappeared form his face._ What wouldn't I give to have you? _

Her face crumpled away as his eyes fluttered open against his will. Aoshi had returned. It was time to go.

Kenshin swore under his breath.

_What the hell am I going to do?_

* * *

Misao backed away slowly. She dropped the stone in her hand. It clattered on the pavement. Bits and pieces broke away from it and it rolled into a crevice on the ground. She placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to steady her breathing. Her heart was beating wildly. She could feel the swooping movement of the blood in her veins as it raced in an unsteady rhythm. Her back hit the wall, and she slid down till she was sitting on the ground.

There was no doubt left. The man was dead. Perhaps she hadn't timed the stroke right, perhaps she hadn't hit at the proper angle or perhaps she hadn't counted upon the drug being ineffective on this man. When he had begun to tear at her clothes, when he slapped her, she knew she had only one chance at escaping his clutches. So she swung with everything she had….and killed him.

A man was dead, and she had killed him.

She hugged her knees to her chest. It was cold. She had never felt so cold. Her arms were stiff and her hands felt numb. She sat silently, completely still. She watched in quiet horror as blood slowly formed a pool under the man's head and began to seep into the grass on the ground. Misao retched and flung herself to the side. The bile rising in her throat was soon out on the street.

Shaking slightly, she rose to her feet. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and began to move away from the man's body. She snuck out of the alley unseen, and briskly began to walk towards Thieves Quarter. Her knees knocked against each other as she tried to walk faster than she could run. Turning a corner, she finally lost her nerve and began to race down the street in a bid to get to Thieves Quarter before the guards found her. Murder was a first degree crime and the murder of an aristocrat was worthy of nothing less than a death sentence. The imperial guards would happily sentence her to death for it and probably be showered with praises over her corpse.

Misao ran wildly, stumbling on stones and gravel. As soon as she reached the unseen gates to Thieves Quarter, she heaved a cry of relief. She leaned against a wall and tied to catch her breath.

She saw the arrow just a second before it hit her arm with a dull thud. Her eyes widened and she screamed with pain. Her knees hit the ground and she buckled over, clutching her arm tightly. She breathed in short bursts. She clamped her teeth together to stop the screams from escaping her mouth. Her fingers gripped the shaft of the arrow and pulled it out. Dropping it on the ground, she clamped her fingers around the punctured hole wedged in her arm by the arrow. Raising her eyes, she saw two men poised on the wall in front of her. One of the men was kneeling on the wall, the other stood beside him, holding a crossbow. They both had streaks of blue painted on their right cheekbone, signifying their status as warders of Thieves Quarter.

The warders are the thieves who guard Thieves Quarter from the imperial guards and other civilians who might unintentionally stray into Thieves Quarter. They make the unwritten laws of the labyrinth where criminals and the destitute make their home and guard it against the control of the outside world. One of those rules includes not harbouring murderers.

If they were blocking her path inside, she was in greater trouble than she had thought. She sucked the roof of her mouth, trying to get some moisture onto her tongue so that she could speak.

But before she could say a word, they broke the silence.

"You cannot enter Makimachi."

"But why?" She croaked.

"You killed an aristocrat. The imperial guards will demand entry if we give you shelter. We cannot sacrifice our peace for one thief."

"But, he tried to ….he was going to rape me. I didn't mean to kill him. I was trying to defend myself!"

The men exchanged a brief glance before turning back to look at her. Misao waited. The eyes that stared back at her were empty.

"We bear you no ill will. But we cannot shield you against the imperial guards. We can only ask that you leave."

"But where will I go? This is my home."

"It is your home no longer. You must leave. The guards are on their way. Someone saw you leave that alley with blood on your hands. There is no safe place for you in this city now."

"Where can I go then…" She was not allowed to finish her sentence. Even as she spoke, an arrow flew out of the crossbow to land at her feet. She scrambled to her feet. A second arrow whizzed past her cheek. Misao turned and ran. She ran blindly, not looking where she was going, only aware of the fact that she had to leave the city, and leave the only place that she had known as home.

Two pairs of eyes watched as she ran further and further away from the city that had once given her life, and was now prepared to give her death.

* * *

Shishio tipped his sword down and gently swept his fingers along the edge of the blade. He held the sword up to inspect his handiwork for a few seconds. Not satisfied with what he saw, he dipped his fingers into a small cup at his side and repeated the process. His fingers moved more slowly this time. By the time he finished coating both sides of the blade, the sword was coated with more than just oil. The blade was painfully sharp and not above shedding the blood of its own master. But he seemed not to bother. He cleaned his hands. Gripping the blade between his forefinger and thumb, he placed it on his knees and deftly screwed it back to the hilt of the sword.

An attendant quietly removed the cup from his side. A second attendant whispered something softly in his ears. He turned to face the boy standing at the entrance of the room.

"Soujirou. I heard you were out hunting."

Soujirou knelt on the floor in front of his liege lord. He rested his elbow on one knew and bent his head.

"I was, Lord."

"Did you catch what you sought?"

"No Lord. I am afraid I failed. I have failed you."

Shishio glanced at his protégé and shook his head slightly. Sheathing his sword, he placed it beside him, and then turned to look at the boy once more.

"There is a time to blame yourself for failing at a task Soujirou. And there is a time for beating yourself up over it but, fortunately for you, that time is not today. On your feet. I will forgive you for letting an enemy loose in my city but what I will not forgive is that morose look on your face on the eve of battle. I expect greatness from you Soujirou. And I will not be disappointed."

Soujirou let loose the breath he had been holding since he last spoke. He raised his head and looked directly at Shishio. The expression in his eyes was the same as always. The same abstract emotion was floating in his eyes.

Expectation.

He nodded and stood up. Shishio could not help feeling a burst of pride whenever he looked at Soujirou. Soujirou was the living example of his belief in the strength of one's soul and will. As young as he was, he possessed the wisdom and the skill of swordsmen many years his senior. Even Saitou had been impressed by Soujirou's prowess with the sword. He could hardly wait for the battle to begin now. He couldn't wait to see the baffled looks on the faces of the Kutoe warriors when they would be faced with Soujirou. Soujirou was a law unto himself.

Soujirou smiled. "You needn't worry on that account Lord. I will not disappoint you." Shishio nodded in response. He had a map of Kansan stretched out in front of him. He beckoned Soujirou to come closer. Soujirou seated himself beside him and listened attentively.

"Taking into account your information about intruders in the city I expect we may be attacked any minute now. We have done all that we can to ensure the safety of our people inside the walls of the city. The walls cannot be broken. However, if we have the enemy inside our walls, we will have to rethink our plan."

Soujirou nodded in quiet assent. Shishio frowned. He pursed his lips and stared at the map for many moments in silent contemplation. Soujirou waited patiently. Finally, Shishio looked up.

"I have decided. Soujirou, will you recognize those men again if you see them?"

"Yes I believe I will," Soujirou replied after a while.

"I think they may still be inside the city. They will aim to penetrate the palace but we must not allow them to do that. We will draw them out here," he pointed at a spot on the map, "you and Okita will ambush them and prevent them from gaining any ground beyond this line."

They were ready.

* * *

Okita stared at the ceiling. He lay on the floor of his room, his head resting on his hands. He struck the wooden floor repeatedly with his foot. His restlessness was wearing him out. The confrontation with Kamatari yesterday had soured his mood. He had been distracted all day, alternating between anger, indignation and utter disbelief at Kamatari's cavalier attitude regarding Kaoru. He was acting as though war and battle was like a walk in the garden. The man was a crazed individual. He had actually had the gall to _ask_ him what was wrong with Kaoru joining the battle.

He rolled over and sat up. Men fought for what was precious and sacred to them. They didn't let their treasures out in the open to be preyed upon by the enemy. Only a man with no honour and no self-respect to speak of would allow his betrothed to be left vulnerable to such danger. He couldn't even begin to comprehend what Kamatari was thinking of talking like that.

He sighed.

There was a knock on the door. He looked up in surprise. It was past the time when most of the residents of the palace had retired. He was expecting no guests. He called out an invitation to enter almost reluctantly. It had been a long day. He had spent almost all of it sparring with his sensei, and his muscles were a bit sore. He had a niggling feeling that it was Kamatari. He hoped he was wrong. He was in no frame of mind to humour his amour's insane uncle at the moment.

The door slid aside to reveal the smiling face of Soujirou. Okita unwittingly raised his eyebrows. Soujirou was Shishio's protégé. He was the only person who was allowed to address him as merely 'Lord'. Okita had been around enough nobles to know that Soujirou's close proximity to the king was widely resented. Personally, he found the man quite amiable and a lot more complicated than he was given credit for. He would make a good friend and a deadly enemy. Okita was glad that Soujirou seemed to like him and had extended a firm hand of friendship towards him, an overture that had deepened since his engagement to Kaoru. Whether or not he truly was a friend or was merely adding Okita to a list of people important to him, by virtue of his relationship with Kaoru, was something he hadn't yet figured out.

Soujirou blinked and looked at Okita quizzically. "Have I come at an inconvenient time? Were you expecting someone else? " he asked, looking out into the hallway carefully.

Okita shook his head. "No. Nothing of that sort. I was just surprised to see you here."

"I was feeling a bit edgy. I came looking for a fight. Would you be so kind as to oblige me?"

Okita rolled his eyes. "The last time I obliged you, I nearly lost my head. I intend to stay in one piece before the fighting starts. You're going to have to knock someone else's door." Okita smirked. "Kamatari's maybe."

Soujirou opened his eyes wide. "Oh dear. What has he said to you now?"

Okita shook his head. "The man has lost his mind. He's made a bow and arrow for Kaoru with which to fight in the war. I just don't understand him. On one hand he'll be going ballistic about how much he loves her and then he goes and pulls something like this!"

Soujirou smiled. He leaned against the door. "He knows what he's doing Okita."

"The hell he does. Are you alright with this?" He asked Soujirou incredulously. Soujirou shrugged.

"Kaoru's a lot stronger than you realise. She regularly beat me black and blue when we were children."

"This is different Soujirou."

Soujirou bit back his response. He didn't want to intrude in what was a personal matter between Okita and Kaoru. This was something they would have to sort out themselves. He couldn't interfere. That would be incredibly uncouth and presumptuous of him. So he held his peace.

A light prattle at the window caught his attention. Okita walked over to the window. A small pebble lay just beyond the windowsill. He stared at it quizzically. A second pebble sailed through the window. Okita held a hand out and deftly caught it. He looked out. His face lit up with a dazzling smile as he saw the person standing under his window, looking up at him.

"Kaoru!" He exclaimed. He leaned out the window. "What are you doing down there?"

A naughty smile spread over her features. She grinned. "Admiring the view."

It was only then that Okita realized that he was not wearing his gi. It had been hot, so he'd taken it off. He smiled and fought back a blush. He bit his lip slightly.

"Why are you out so late?" He looked up and down the garden path where she was standing, clearly waiting for him. Soujirou discreetly excused himself and slid the door shut. He hummed softly to himself as he walked away from the lovers.

Kaoru smiled. "Have you ever seen Kansan at night? It's magical."

"I thought nobody left the palace at night."

"What! Oh my innocent darling," She placed her hand on her heart and pouted. "They have tricked you. Kansan is at its most beautiful at night." She spread her arms wide open.

Okita laughed. "I see," he ducked out of sight and returned, wearing a gi. "Should I come by the hallway like a civilised human being or should I just jump down the window?"

"We are creatures of the night my love, mischievous and unpredictable." She winked at him.

Okita grinned as he put one foot on the window sill, ready to catapult himself out of the room. "The window it is then."

He landed nimbly beside her. She smiled and linked her fingers with his. She leaned over and lightly pressed her lips to his. Before he could capture her mouth with his lips, she pulled away. Laughing, she pulled him by the arm and led him out into the city. There would never be another time to show him just what Kansan was. Kaoru wanted him to fall in love with the city as madly as he had fallen for her.

She took him through the meandering streets of the night bazaar, taking in all the sights and sounds of all Konan as it was represented by the traders and farmers that had come to the capital for the festival. Okita was enthralled by the madness, the rampant colour and the vigour of the city.

Perhaps they were too engrossed in the sights or each other's company, that they didn't even notice the vigilant eyes that watched them from the moment they had emerged from the palace. The eyes blazed with anger and jealousy as they watched Okita beside her, holding her, grasping her fingers, sometimes dropping a light kiss on her fingers as they wandered.

Kenshin burned with a passion he had never known before. The only thing he could think of was to kill the man beside her, rip him apart with his bare hands, burn his body and stamp out his existence. He wanted to pull her away from him, to drown her with kisses, to erase all signs of him from her body, her mind, her soul. He hissed. She was his. Nobody, nobody had a right to be with her, to drink in her smiles, to touch her, to be held in her eyes like that. Nobody but him. He felt his blood rush and his veins heat up as his eyes slowly turned indigo flecked with gold. He was burning for blood. His blood.

He suddenly broke out of his thoughts when he heard her laughter. It was like the tinkle of silver bells on a breezy day. She was holding a cup of sake and talking ecstatically to the shopkeeper, while the man leaned toward her listening carefully. Kenshin leaned against the wall, content to simply watch her. For now. Suddenly she stood up and dragged the man beside her out of the shop, as if she had just remembered something. The shopkeeper called out after them and waved.

Kenshin stepped forward hesitantly. He came and stood at the table she had been sitting at just a minute ago. He gently picked up her sake cup and held it up to his eyes. His eyes widened. He could make out the imprint from her lips on the cup. He lowered it. Gazing thoughtfully at the cup, he envisioned her lips once more. Soft, pink, parted in thirst, softly sipping the wine from the delicate porcelain. One beautiful creation for one another. He gripped the cup tightly and slowly brought it to his lips. The porcelain felt cool against his heated lips. The sake spread against the roof of his mouth. He tasted a whiff of something else as well, something that hadn't been in the sake when it was poured out of the bottle.

Lowering the cup from his lips, he shuddered slightly. He gripped the cup once more but this time, in rage. He flung the cup across the room. It shattered against the wall into a hundred pieces. Kenshin touched his lips gingerly with his fingers. He needed to find that taste again. Clenching his hands into fists, he left the shop and stalked of in search of Aoshi.

There was no more time to be lost. They were going to start this tonight.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

This took me a long time to write. I know that and I'm sorry but certain circumstances got in the way. Circumstances like:

Deciding whether or not to write about Tomoe in this chapter. I decided ultimately, and consequently she's not here.

Same problem with Enishi and a new character, but I solved that by figuring too much is going on anyway, we can hold Enishi, Tomoe and the new person for next time.

Real life.

Writing Soujirou, which can be a pain in the derriere. Honestly.

Please review!

Passes around a plate of double chocolate cookies.


	9. The Siege

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: **Hear one hear all, ye lawyers and copyright spin doctors, the tale of Rurouni Kenshin and all its characters belongs entirely to the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro. I claim ownership only on this story and its events and any quirky idiosyncrasy the characters have become prone to during the course of this story.

**Rating**: T for violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

Hope you like this chapter!!

Please excuse any spelling mistakes. I became so impatient to get this chapter posted that I kind of ignored my beta-reader. I can't help it, I like to post as soon as I finish a chapter. I just can't keep material sitting with me.

Please excuse any typos.

**Extra special thanks to Icyblossom for constantly reminding me to update**.

Thank you List!!

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 9: The Siege**

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The horizon will stretch forward and blot out the sun, the rain of arrows will swallow the beating heart on the battlefield. Spears will thrust, swords will slice and blood will fall like water from the sky.

**(krystalMage)**

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The lights of Kansan glittered like jewels split over black velvet. The wind was heavy with the scent of wine and revelry. As straggling steps took the revellers slowly towards their beds, an unseen army watched from its position on the hills west of the city.

They had been travelling for two days; the dust from the long forgotten trade routes was plastered on their faces, beaten into the skin of their faces by the wind that resisted their movement towards Kansan. Their hands were dry and their lips chapped and wind-bruised. They gazed at the glittering city with a bloodthirsty and destructive intent that scared and angered the wind. It fought against them. It lashed at their clothes and skin; it pushed against their bodies, as if that would drive them away.

The men, some standing, some crouching on the ground were like silent apparitions of death on the hillside. They stared down at the city lost in celebration and watched for the signal that would release them from limbo and allow them to rain down the hills and break upon the city like the violent waves of the sea that smash against the shores.

The moon carelessly flung away the curtain of clouds shielding it and shone brightly. Its silver beams caressed the blades and swords of the invaders even as it created a false sense of calm inside the city. The sentries saw the moonbeams shining into their city yet did not see the gleaming reflections of the swords of their enemies waiting for a signal to storm the citadel.

The moon saw it all, yet disconsolate as it was, remained silent.

A man was standing on a boulder at the head of the army. His hair defied the beating of the wind and remained standing upright, supported by a bandana tied around his forehead. His stance was relaxed and poised. He kept one foot forward, and rested his weight on the other. He held one hand up as though he were shielding his eyes. It was not to hide from the light of the moon but merely to concentrate upon the city. In his other hand he held a great sword. The ease with which he held the sword propped over his shoulder only accentuated his strength. It was taller than him, and very heavy. It was a weapon that required not only great strength to master it but an equally formidable sense of discipline and balance.

He shifted his stance and lowered his weapon, piercing the ground with the blade. He turned his face back towards the twinkling lights of Kansan and crossed his arms over his chest. The men in his command had retired back to their places. They would wait for their commander's orders to attack, till then they would rest their tired minds and muscles. Both would be needed to fight and win this war.

Enishi slowly picked his way through the men. He stood beside Sanosuke and looked down at the city. His face was drawn and serious, his eyes held a pensive look. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword. He was ready for this war. He was ready to take on the might of Konan and crush it to dust. He was ready to take his rightful place in the world.

Sanosuke lowered his hand and turned towards Enishi. "By the looks of things, we don't have long to wait."

Enishi raised his chin. "Good. We've waited long enough anyway." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He could hardly contain his excitement. The palms of his hands were tingling. He clenched his fist, digging his finger nails tightly into his palm. Despite his confidence, he was feeling a little nervous. This was going to be his first time on the battlefield. He wasn't scared of the injury and pain that would necessarily be inflicted on him but he was scared of not having enough to do or having to make do with weaker opponents. He wasn't looking for reasons to complain, but merely being realistic.

He glanced at Sanosuke once more. Sanosuke Sagara was easily the strongest warrior in the Kutoe army. There were few who could best him in a fight. He was as quick witted as he was strong. His ability to read the movements of his opponent and use his surroundings to his advantage in a fight made him a formidable enemy. Sanosuke's name held great renown and prestige in Kutoe and its bordering lands. Enishi had no doubt that even now, Sanosuke was thinking about the things that could go wrong, situations that might get out of hand and how to deal with them when the time came. He had a backup plan for everything.

Sanosuke was a good man to have at your side.

Enishi turned away and seated himself on a rock close by. Sanosuke remained where he was, eyes trained unswervingly on Kansan. The first signal was their cue to get into position, and the second, to attack. There was no room for error, no time to lose. The element of surprise was crucial to gaining the upper hand early on in the battle. If they didn't force Konan back into a defensive position by the end of the first attack, then all their plans would be laid to waste.

There was no meaning in victory if it took a week to finish a day's battle. Victory was convincing only when it was attained in less time than you had planned for. The magnitude of the action meant little or nothing if it was executed too late. Those warriors were remembered who made the right move at the right time, and those that could not do so were forgotten; their memories faded like the powdery paint on the walls of an abandoned palace.

He turned his attention back to the city. It was still alive, still vibrant. The coruscating lights of the thousands of lanterns lit in the city seemed to mock and defy the invaders resting in the deathly silence of the hills. It was a city determined to celebrate and carouse. If they were wary of the enemy sitting at their doorstep, they made no move to show it. Was this carefree feasting an act to trick them into believing that Konan's defenders had no idea that their assailants had arrived? Had they really managed to escape the notice of the Kansan spies, or were their hosts actually waiting for them? The thought niggled and troubled him. He nimbly stepped off the rock and came to sit beside Enishi.

The younger man was busy staring at the sheath of his sword. He held it across his knees, gripping it tightly with his fingers. Sanosuke raised an eyebrow slightly.

Smiling, he nudged Enishi. "Take it easy on the sword. She'll have lots to do tonight. Let her rest for the time being." He had startled him by speaking so suddenly. Enishi looked up and loosed his hold on his sword. He smiled back faintly. Sanosuke looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud left on the firmament, the wind had blown them all away.

He looked back towards the city. _Kenshin, we're waiting_.

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Soujirou exhaled the breath he had been holding for minutes. It didn't matter how hard he tried; it was of no use. He couldn't sleep. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he rolled over and sat up. Pushing the covers aside, he swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Stretching his arms above his head, he walked over to the window and opened it. The city was still as alive it had been during the day. The bazaars were still bustling with revellers for whom the festivities had not yet finished. The silvery beams sent down by the moon gleamed on rooftops, terraces and the streets of the city. The silk lanterns swung in gentle motions from side to side in the wind blowing from the south.

He leaned out slightly, elbows propped on the window sill. It was a beautiful night. The sort of night made famous by poets and minstrels, a night for lovers, for revelry, for passion and beauty. It was not a night for a young man to stand alone at his window and imagine that something was amiss. There was no reason, no logical explanation for feeling restless and troubled. There was nothing to be paranoid about. Lack of sleep and rest naturally made the simplest of things seem suspicious.

Soujirou glanced down. There was a bowl of cherries sitting on the table. Thoughtfully, as if in a trance, he picked one up and stared at it for some time before popping it into his mouth. He twirled the stalk between his fingers and once more looked out at the city, lost in merriment. He flicked his fingers, sending the stalk out of the window. He watched grimly as it twirled and twisted on the breeze till it was lost in the darkness of the night.

He tensed. Turning sharply on his heel, he walked straight to his closet and dressed. He picked up his katana and tied his sandals on. As he walked past the window, he suddenly stopped and looked at it as though he were seeing it for the first time. He blinked. He could see the heavy forms of the dark and silent hills lying beyond the citadel in the distance. A cobweb of premonition shifted uncomfortably in his mind. He took a step forward and carefully latched the window shut once more. Then squaring his shoulders, he left his chamber and marched off towards the northern wing of the palace at a sharp pace.

There was no more time to sleep.

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Kamatari felt Soujirou's presence outside his door before he heard him knock. He rose from his bed and swiftly walked to the door, opening it to reveal Soujirou standing in the hall, his hand raised, ready to knock once more if needed. The boy's face was unreadable, as always. His surprise at finding Kamatari awake had quickly been replaced by understanding. So he hadn't been the only one who couldn't sleep, hence there was no mistaking it. His intuition had been dead on the mark.

Soujirou didn't mince any words. He didn't need to.

"They're here. They've come. I can feel it."

Without a word, Kamatari turned and walked back into his chamber. Soujirou followed him. He waited silently as Kamatari disappeared behind a wooden screen. When he emerged a few minutes later, he was dressed for battle. Placing his feet on a small stool, he laced up his boots one after the other. He secured his katana and a shorter wakizashi to his waist and finally, walked to a large cupboard at the end of the room. The wooden doors gleamed and shone. Soujirou held his breath.

Kamatari's favourite and most deadly weapon rested behind those doors. He had not brought it out since he had made Kansan his home ten years ago. He hadn't needed to; there had never been any situation so dire as to require such a weapon. Soujirou craned his neck to watch. He didn't care how ridiculous he might be looking. He wanted to see the scythe. Kamatari's choice of weapon seemed strange and wrong as it was as horrifying and cruel as he was elegant and gentle. The scythe seemed to grant a malicious air to him. It was a weapon that would slice through flesh and bone without mercy, without compassion, and without a care for the pain inflicted.

The shaft of the scythe rested on a wooden frame. A heavy chain of iron attached a sphere of solid iron to the scythe. Kamatari grasped the shaft firmly with one hand and lifted it up off the frame. With the other hand he clasped the iron chain and brought the weapon out. Balancing the scythe across his shoulders, he nodded at Soujirou and walked out of the chamber.

The two men did not speak as they walked through the many corridors of the palace. Talking was futile. They knew what had to be done. Their steps did not falter, neither did they think about the unexpectedness of the deed. They had been living on stolen time since that day. Shishio had known the consequences for his defiance as well as any of them, and they were prepared to deal with them. Worrying over something that was meant to happen was foolish and not worthy of their mettle as warriors.

But as the king's chamber drew near, Soujirou fell behind and discreetly turned away into a different corridor. He had an important task to take care of before he was ready to speak to the king.

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Soujirou raced through the central courtyard, back towards Okita's chamber. His feet made no sound on the ground, even though to a bystander he might have seemed as though he were flying. When he had separated from Kamatari, who had gone on to rouse the king and the generals of the army, he had gone first to check on Kaoru. She was, naturally, the first person the king would ask about.

He didn't know why his heart felt heavy as he made his way to the wing where she stayed with Lady Tae. However, his misgivings were confirmed when Tae frantically told him that Kaoru was not inside her room. She was nowhere to be found. Soujirou fought hard to remain calm.

He remembered that the princess had come to visit her fiancée, but he was not certain of her whereabouts now. He did not speak of it to Kamatari for obvious reasons. He hadn't found either of them at Okita's quarters earlier. It was possible they had gone out of the palace. And if he knew anything about the princess, it was probably Kaoru's idea to begin with. He could only hope that they were still together and safe.

Trusting to hope, he decided that Kaoru was still with Okita. He convinced Lady Tae not to speak of it to anyone, especially Kamatari. For the princess to be out of the palace at a time like this was suicidal. It was needless to say that the general would be furious; furious with Okita for accompanying her out at night like this, and furious with him for not stopping them and allowing them to leave. He had to find them both, before things got out of hand and the enemy was raining down blows on them. His jaw tightened as he pushed open the doors to Okita's chamber once more; it was empty. Okita's bed was smooth, without a single wrinkle. It was as clear as day; his bed had not been slept in all night.

Soujirou rushed to the window and looked out. His eyes raced across the garden. They were nowhere to be seen. He raked his fingers through his hair. Where could they possibly be? And how in the world was he supposed to tell the king that both Kaoru and Okita were missing from the palace?

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Hardly a sound could be heard but for the soft clink of metal as each soldier passed through the armoury, picking up weapons and moving swiftly away to receive orders. The horses of the cavalry tossed their heads and shifted their hooves impatiently, yet for all the noise they made, the horsemen held on tightly to the reins. The archers assumed their positions on the battlements, the foot soldiers lined up in concentric circles behind the walls of the citadel. Four great towers made of bamboo were slowly being lined up next to the battlement. They were giant catapults, meant to fling vats of boiling oil and tar upon the enemy soldiers. The purpose was merely to slow the enemy down when they were crossing the walls, so they could be dealt with easily by the soldiers.

Saitou leaned against a wall, silently observing the activity. He had been ready when the news had reached him. He looked around impatiently for Okita but could not see him anywhere. He frowned. Soujirou had returned but Okita was nowhere to be seen. Soujirou turned towards him and slowly shook his head, confirming his suspicion that he hadn't been able to find his wayward student.

_Where has that boy gone off to?_

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"Kaoru?"

"Hmmm?"

"It's time we went back inside. It's really too late." Okita shifted slightly, cradling his beloved in his arms. He looked down at her. Kaoru was gazing at him silently. She hadn't spoken a word since they'd returned to the palace. When he told her to go back to her chamber and get some sleep, she protested. Insisting, "just a while longer…" she snuggled closer to him and he had melted.

That had been half an hour ago. Dawn would break in a few more hours. He knew he was powerless when faced with Kaoru but they had been out for far too long than was proper. He doubted that the king or Kamatari would view this little excursion of theirs as innocent. However, the lack of propriety about them stealing out to the city unchaperoned in the middle of the night was nothing compared to the niggling feeling of impending danger he'd been having all night. He had ignored it at first, intent as he was on enjoying every moment he had with Kaoru, but the feeling persisted and refused to leave.

They were in danger. Something was about to happen, he could feel it in his bones. The sudden silence worried him. He swept his eyes along the length of the garden. Everything was still, and even the night crickets and cicadas were silent. It felt as though sound had been completely obliterated.

Kaoru felt his uneasiness and sat up. "What is it? Okita, what's happening?"

Okita gestured for her to be quiet. He listened intently. A chill crept up his spine. The wind whipped his hair around his face. He looked up at the sky; the clouds had all been blown away by the wind. The moon shone brightly. He gripped his katana tightly. He turned and took Kaoru tightly by the hand and hurriedly led her up the garden path. Kaoru pelted him with questions but he did not answer her. He wasn't even pretending to listen to them; all he knew was that he needed to get her inside the palace. Questions could wait.

Kaoru pulled at her hand but Okita had such a firm grip on it, that all her attempts to break free were rendered useless. She stared in mute amazement at the instantaneous change in her fiancée. Scarcely a minute ago, had he been soft, gentle and caressing, and now, he felt like a stranger. A stranger whose hard eyes and unrelenting grip she couldn't recognise, and couldn't reconcile with her sweet lover.

Okita silently led her into the palace. The stony silence between them became more tensed with every step they took. Kaoru looked around carefully. Archers had begun lining up next to the parapets. She could hear the gentle paving of hoofs as the cavalry horses were led out and bridled, ready for their masters. Okita tightened his grip on her hand. War had finally arrived in Kansan.

Even though the change in the wind and the deathly calm of the palace warned them to an extent, they were both unprepared for the utter chaos that would greet them inside the palace. The king had been told that his daughter was missing. Lady Tae had almost fainted, and now she was apologising profusely for her negligence. Shishio was standing stony-faced, and Kamatari was nowhere to be seen.

Okita almost quivered as he felt the king's eyes on him. Shishio's eyes were hard and unforgiving; he glared at Okita and pulled Kaoru into his embrace possessively, not allowing her to speak.

Okita shifted his feet uncomfortably. He opened his mouth to explain, but was curtly cut off by the king, who ordered him to rush to his post. He didn't protest. Glancing one last time at Kaoru, he set off for the North Gate battlement at a brisk pace.

The deafening blast of blunt horns screamed out into the night. Kaoru slapped her hands over her ears. Shishio looked out the window towards the main gate of the city, out to the north. The crimson banners of the Lightning Emperor flew triumphantly in the wind. The horn sounded again, and again, calling them out to fight. Kutou had arrived.

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The booming sound of the battle horns of Kutou echoed through the streets of Kansan, shaking up the last remnants of carefree camaraderie. The people looked around startled as the frantic tones of bells began to toll. Soldiers ran through the streets urging people indoors and calling everyone to arms. The veil of inactivity and unconcerned festivity was stripped off and the readiness for battle displayed in their movements. The defenders were ready. The great gates of the city were barricaded and guarded by lines upon lines of soldiers who stood on the ready, spears thrust forward. Within ten minutes, the streets were emptied. People locked themselves inside, women and children were stowed away through secret passages underground or ushered into secret rooms dug underneath the ground.

Kenshin took a deep breath. He turned to look at Hannya, who nodded. They were ready. He loosed his katana in its sheath. The faint hiss of the metal as it slid against the silver mouth of the sheath was like hearing the voice of a close friend after years of separation. The sound was sweet and lovely to his ears. He stepped out from the shadows where a team of Oniwabanshu were waiting in position. The first attack was his to make. They would emerge from the shadows after he carved a path for them to rush out into the heart of the city and put an end to the festivities that drowned Kansan. He had to throw the city and its commanders into confusion before Sanosuke came forward to offer Shishio a chance to surrender and relinquish his right to the throne of Konan.

A squad of infantry officers were stationed near the North Gate where the first assault would be made. They stood battle-ready, patrolling the wide avenue that circled all of Kansan. Kenshin moved closer, throwing off the camouflage he'd worn for two days. He let the full force of his swordsman spirit wash over the group of soldiers and officers.

The tremendous power unleashed by his ki jolted all of them violently. They bent their knees and moved forward. Their skill and the precise curving arcs drawn by their swords were impressive indeed but they did not possess the skill to match Kutou's crown prince. Kenshin's sword sang as it raced through the flesh and bone of every soldier and officer standing under Shishio's banner on that outpost.

In a matter of minutes, Kenshin stood alone amidst a sea of bodies.

The men who lay dead and dying at his feet were brave, noble men who had faced many dangers for their land and their king, yet their deaths cheated them, because they could not understand the speed at which his blade curved through their bodies. Even as they fell to the ground, they were confused. It had been a mere trick of light, or some sort of devilry. No man could possess such speed. No sword could slay without even allowing for a scream of pain or protest to leave their mouths.

The Oniwabanshu raced out of their hiding place and followed Kenshin from street to street. Time was of utmost importance; they had to break open the gates before the cavalry arrived. Kenshin sped forward, taking out the officers who challenged him, leaving the rest for Hannya and his men to handle. He spun as if in a daze; his katana danced through the bodies of his victims. The deadliest fighter of the Lightning Emperor's army was unleashing terror inside the very walls they would soon die to protect but unfortunately for them, the defenders weren't even aware of the fact.

Instead, they looked out, beyond the walls to face the army from Kutou. Lines upon lines of fierce warriors was marching down from the hills, surrounding the city. As the sentries standing at look-out points watched, the fields and farms encircling the city were filled with enemy soldiers, all waiting for a command from their superiors to let loose the horror of battle and bloodshed upon the people of Kansan.

A tall man with a gargantuan sword balanced on his shoulders stepped forward and proclaimed in a loud voice,

"I speak in the name of Hiko Seijurou, Emperor of Kutou."

The sentries perched on the battlements looked at each other in bewilderment.

"And what do you wish to say?" A clear voice rang out from behind the archers. Okita had arrived. The sentries parted to make way for him. He wore a determined look on his face.

Sanosuke squinted to get a better look of the commander who had spoken. "I would know the name of the man I address before I say anything."

"Okita Souji. I am a soldier of Konan."

Sanosuke smirked. "A mere soldier carries no significance for my message. Where is your king?"

Okita bristled. His eyes grew hard and his jaw tightened. "My sovereign will not arrive at the call of a crier. State your purpose or be gone!"

Sanosuke's smirk grew wider. "Patience has never been a virtue in Konan, has it? Very well. You may tell your king that he can still spare his people the agony and sorrow of war if he agrees to step down from his throne and accept Hiko Seijurou's sovereignty over all these lands."

"Curse your vile tongue for spouting such venom! My king was not troubled by your challenge then nor will he be troubled now. Konan will be ruled only by its rightful ruler, and that is Shishio Makoto! You may tell your emperor to forget the dream of ever ruling Konan."

"Your words are pretty, but they would sound prettier still in a playhouse. Don't be foolish. What would it serve to throw the lives of all these people to waste? You cannot win this war, not if every man and child in Konan learned how to carry a sword."

"Konan will not fall to the likes of you! How can you think so arrogantly?"

"Perhaps, but it will fall. Whether it is by my hand or the hand of my comrades, this is the end. Surrender now and there will be no need for fighting. All your people will be safe. The Lightning Emperor has great compassion. I do not doubt he will allow you to live, only hand over your king. You need not worry about anything"

An arrow flew out before he could finish his sentence. Sanosuke stepped back quickly. The arrow embedded itself in the ground at the feet. A ripple ran through the Kutou army. The archers perched on the Kansan walls let out a cheer that transformed into a battle cry.

Okita smiled triumphantly. Beaming, he held his face up and called out to Sanosuke.

"Does that answer your question?"

Sanosuke frowned. Okita's resilient voice grated on his nerves. His frown deepened as he spotted several of the sentries laughing softly to acknowledge their commander's initial victory over the haughty emissary who wanted them to surrender. However, his anger subsided as soon as he espied the long plumes of smoke wafting out from behind the battlements where the archers stood. It seemed as though they hadn't noticed them yet.

Sanosuke smirked once more. Swinging his zanbatou, Sanosuke held it up straight, pointing towards the hundreds of flames that were engulfing the city buildings behind Okita.

"Does _that_ answer yours?"

Okita's eyes widened as he heard cries of terror and despair in the background.

Behind him, the bazaar erupted in flames. The Oniwabanshu had done their work. As the flames rose higher and higher, panic set about amongst the citizens of the city. The wailing and screaming of the confused people pierced through the air. A chill ran through every soldier who heard it. Fires spread from the market to the houses and lapped up everything in their path. Even as the soldiers tried to calm their people down, a new menace arrived at their door.

Kutou's terrible army charged forward.

-

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The battle had worn on for three days. The defenders of the city had managed to keep the enemy at bay for the first day but the steady stream of invasive force that struck them from every direction was proving to be too much to bear. As they had gradually retreated to the Keep - the citadel circled by the palace walls - they recognised that the end was near. The fighting could not be sustained for much longer. Each commander of the army was exhausted but they persevered despite it. The king had not yet taken up his sword. He had been ensconced with his Council, strategising, and carrying out plans to lead the women and children out of the city through an underground passage that would direct them to the river, where boats waited to take them to safer shores.

Kaoru clenched her fists. She sat at her window, looking out at the burning city. Kutou's soldiers torched every street they conquered. It seemed as though they wouldn't be content until every last stone of the city was destroyed. She bit her lip. Seeing her beautiful home being so brutally abused stirred her senses. She stood up determinedly. It had been three days since the fighting had started, and three days since she had been caged up in her chamber. Well, no longer! She was not going to sit around and watch while her city was razed to the ground. She had as much right to fight for it as anyone else.

She emerged a few minutes later, dressed for battle. Her arms and hands were protected with metal guards; her breasts were tightly bound with strips of cotton that restrained them completely. She wore a leather jerkin over them. Her hair was tied securely under a cloth cap; she wore sandals that would allow her freedom of movement. Her bow and quiver fastened carefully at her back and her bokken held in her hand, Kaoru set out to the front lines.

"Kaoru! What in the world….where do you think you are going dressed like that?" Tae swooped in and pointed at her accusingly.

Kaoru sighed. She turned around to face Tae. "I am going to fight."

Tae frowned. "Do you think this is a game between children, Kaoru? Have you any idea what it means to fight in a war?"

"No. I don't think it's a game at all. Da and the others have been fighting for days! I have to do something!" Kaoru spun around, her eyes flashing angrily.

"I see. And what do you think you can do to help? You are a princess, Kaoru! Think like one, and for once in your life, act like one. If you go out there, there is nothing, I repeat, nothing that you can do. You will only endanger whoever sees you there, because there isn't a soldier in this country who would allow anything to happen to you. You will do more harm than good."

"I can fight!" She retorted, holding her bokken tightly.

"You cannot and you will not. Stop this madness right now! This is exactly why I told your father not to give you sword lessons, but who listens to me?" Tae threw her hands up in the air, her frustration palpable.

"Tae, you're not listening!" Kaoru stamped her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Be quiet Kaoru! I have had enough. I have been very lenient with you but this is the limit. You will not take one step outside this door."

"Why not!"

"Why not? Must you ask that? Can you not think for yourself? Very well, if you want it this way, I will be more than plain with you. Do you know what happens to a woman found on the battlefield Kaoru? Have you any idea what is done to a woman who falls into the enemy's hands?"

"She is killed. I know that. I'm not scared. There's nothing worse than death. But I would gladly die for Konan."

Tae stared at Kaoru. Kaoru stared back at her. The resounding slap on her face threw her off balance and she stumbled. She glared accusingly at Tae. Neither of them noticed Kamatari and Saitou appear at the door.

"How _dare_ you slap me, Tae?" Kaoru's voice quivered with indignation and hurt.

"Be quiet! I would slap you as many times as I please. I will not tolerate this from you Kaoru. I have raised you as my own child and even if I have to beat sense into you, I will! Don't you know what they could do to you? A woman is nothing but a plaything for men. They will twist you, use you and throw you away! Is that what you want?"

"Tae…." Kaoru whispered. Her hand still lingered on her stinging cheek. She looked down, her tears softly gliding down her cheeks to fall on the floor.

Tae looked stricken. "Oh my beautiful child! You must be careful. You do not know what danger you are in. You must not talk about fighting, please Kaoru, please don't think about going out there!"

Saitou cleared his throat. Both the women looked up, startled. Kaoru looked away, swiftly wiping her tears away. Tae stood elegantly.

"What news, gentlemen?"

Kamatari strode over to Kaoru and pulled her to her feet. "Time to go minxlette."

Kaoru looked at him questioningly. "Go where, Taro?"

He smiled at her. "You're going on a little voyage. It's not safe in the city anymore. Your Da will see you soon." He cut her off as she began to protest. "Please don't complain minx, it's for the best."

He glanced at Tae. "Is everything ready?"

She nodded. "Yes. I prepared her bag this morning."

Kaoru stared from one to the other. "Will someone tell me what's happening?"

Kamatari sighed before pulling his niece into a fierce embrace. "Minxlette, this is the end of the road. Please don't argue. We are sending you someplace where you will be safe until we find you. Konan is….." he trailed off as he saw Shishio enter.

"……..Konan will fall tonight, my child."

Kaoru shook her head frantically. "No Da! It can't, it won't. Tell me it won't. Da….." She buried her head in his chest. Shishio kissed her temple softly. He drew away from her.

"Let me look at you." He held her at arm's length. "My child, I want you to remember, no matter what happens - I will always love you. Your mother and I are so proud of you. You are my most precious treasure, and my love for you will never die. Whatever happens here tonight, always remember that. You carry the memories of this family inside you, nothing, no war, no emperor can't take that away from you my child." He kissed her once more, then picking up his sword once more, rushed from the room. It would be the last time Kaoru ever saw him.

"Wait…Da….Taro…don't….don't send me away. I won't make any trouble, I promise. I'll do everything Tae says, just please, don't send me away. I can't go without you." Kaoru clung to Kamatari's sleeve. Her eyes pleading with him as he wordlessly tied a scarf around her face. Finally, he held her face in his hands.

"I promise we will find you."

"You can promise whatever you want Taro, but I am not going anywhere." Kamatari bent his head. Kaoru looked at each person in the room defiantly. Kamatari took her elbow and turned her towards himself. He shook his head gently. Outside, the sounds of fighting were getting closer. The sounds of the drums signalling retreat by Konan soldiers were getting louder and more numerous. They were falling further and further behind. Soon, they would have only the inner palace to protect, since the Kutou army had successfully penetrated into the exterior of the palace.

"Minxlette, we would not send you from here if we had the choice but we don't. If you are here when the palace falls, you will be taken prisoner. And that is not acceptable to any of us."

"But Taro…."

He turned towards Saitou and nodded slightly. Both the men retreated. Kaoru held on to Kamatari but he pushed her hands away. She was left standing alone with Tae. The older woman waited while Kaoru seemed to collect herself once more. Then she came forward and pressed a small bundle in Kaoru's hands.

Kaoru glanced down at it in puzzlement. She unwrapped it slowly. The rags fell away to reveal a gleaming leather sheath. Kaoru turned it over and pulled the dagger encased within out of the sheath. It was very sharp and gleamed even in the low light of the candles.

Kaoru looked at the dagger then at Tae in confusion. "What….what is this Tae?"

The other woman bit her lip nervously before coming forward to clasp Kaoru's hands. "Kaoru….just remember….whatever happens, don't let them take you."

"Don't let them take me….what do you mean?"

"The soldiers from Kutou….they will come looking for you….don't let them take you. Before they touch you, my child…..do not hesitate…you are everything for Konan, do not let them take you."

Kaoru felt her hands shake as she gripped the dagger tightly. She sniffed. Lifting the leather jerkin slightly, she pushed the dagger between the layers of cotton binding her breasts. When she looked up again, Saitou had returned. He wore a very pensive look. She stood up.

"General, I have a request. Please, I need to see Okita once before I go. Please, can you help me?"

Saitou regarded her carefully. Then he slowly nodded his head. He flinched as the princess beamed. He beckoned to her to follow him. Kaoru hugged Tae and taking one last look at the chamber where she had spent the eighteen years of her life, turned away and followed Saitou out.

Although Saitou was supposedly leading her out to safety, he made no effort to walk slowly; instead he seemed to be gliding over the floors faster than the north wind. Kaoru struggled to keep up. She was practically running alongside him to avoid being left behind. She was so focussed upon not losing sight of him, that she failed to notice that he was not taking her to the battlement of the palace where she may have met Okita but instead, he was leading her out of the palace as her father had instructed. It was only when they reached the steps leading down into the river that she skidded to a halt and demanded to know what was going on.

"General! You told me to would take me to Okita!"

"I promised you nothing, my lady. It was my duty to lead you to safety and I have. Beyond that, I have no obligation to fulfil the juvenile whims of a love struck girl."

"General! That is too bold. You forget to whom you are speaking. War or no war, I am the heir to the throne of Konan, you must obey me." Kaoru bristled.

Saitou looked at her lazily. "You are right, my lady. I have failed in my duties to obey you, and for this I most humbly beg your forgiveness."

"I don't want your apologies. I want you to take me to Okita."

"Forgive me my lady."

"Are you flouting my will so openly General?"

"No, my lady. I am merely doing as your father wishes. Once again, I must apologise for what I am about to do. Someday if we meet again, I will ask your forgiveness in a more fitting manner but or now this must suffice."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Saitou glanced around. He pivoted on his left foot and reappeared behind Kaoru. Snapping his hand down hard on her neck, he watched as she crumbled to the ground. Gently, he lifted her limp form from the ground and boarded a raft tied to a post near the steps. Laying her down on the raft, Saitou shot a look back towards the palace. The noise of the fighting was getting closer still. He hissed in anger and frustration. He had taken too long to bring her down here. The fighting was getting worse, he had to get back and make sure Shishio retreated. No matter what he said, he could not be allowed to die here, like this. Without the king, Konan would perish.

Saitou stepped off the raft, and once more checking around the area, began to push the raft out to the river. He waded into the water and pushed further still. He had to get the raft out in the fast flowing stream of the river. If the enemy found out that there was a way to escape from here, all their efforts to save the princess would go to waste. Saitou pushed until at last he felt the pull of the river lift the raft. The river sucked and swirled around the raft, pulling it into its grip. The flow of the river carried the raft away swiftly. Saitou sighed. He waded back to the steps. As he climbed the steps once more, he looked out to the river. The raft was now scarcely visible. He closed his eyes in silent prayer, hoping that the stowaway would wake to a safe clime.

_My thoughts go with you my lady. If we survive this night, we will meet again_.

-

-

Soujirou panted hard. All around him lay the dead bodies of Kutou soldiers who had entered the keep by vaulting over the walls or climbing ladders across. He leaned heavily on his katana. He was exhausted, but the soldiers showed no signs of letting up. And yet, he had the niggling feeling that he had not even met the strongest warriors amongst them yet. Their skill astounded him and he felt more and more desperate to see the fight end with his life intact. As he bent his head over his sword, a crackle of electricity seemed to run through his veins. He snapped his head up and peered over the battlement. A group of Kutou soldiers were battering a log against the gate of the Keep. His eyes widened. If they reached in here, it was all over.

He hollered at the soldiers below. "Brace the gates! They're trying to break the gate down. Everyone to the gate!" His throat felt parched and his leather skin of water was empty. He vaulted over the wall and raced down the stairs to the gate. The great gate made of solid oak shuddered as the log rammed into it again and again. Outside, the frenzied tones of the Kutou soldiers could be heard as they instructed each other to move together, putting all their force together to break the gate down.

He waited. Suddenly the door stopped shaking. Apparently they had stopped ramming the log into it. Soujirou straightened uneasily. What could they be thinking? The gate was practically falling apart now, why did they stop now of all times?

A silver strip of light flashed through the gate. Soujirou stepped backing shock. The gate groaned in agony, the wooden boards creaking dangerously breaking collapsing in a heap of dust. Soujirou drew his hand up to shield his eyes from the dust. The soldiers who had been bracing the gate jumped back and thrust their spears forward, ready for any soldiers who were too eager to enter.

But no one came.

As the dust settled down, Soujirou craned his neck for a better look. A lone silhouette stood beyond the ruined gate. The wind swept the last remnants of dust away. Standing poised at the gate, with one foot planted securely on the fallen door and his katana resting on his shoulder, was the man who had pretended to be a farmer in a teashop, the man whose entire aura was drenched in blood. The man whom he had not been able to find for two days. Soujirou clenched his fist.

"You." He said simply.

Kenshin raised his head and looked directly at the young man standing ready before him. He tilted his head to the side.

"You seem somewhat familiar."

"I wonder why an officer of the mighty army of Kutou would stoop to disguise himself as a poor farmer. It must have been difficult for you."

"On the contrary, it was too simple."

Soujirou gripped his katana tighter and smiled. Kenshin tapped his katana against his shoulder pensively. The strange smile on the boy's face threw him off. He couldn't read anything from the boy's stance. He seemed to have no emotions whatsoever. Kenshin frowned as the boy continued to smile.

"I apologise. I must ensure you find nothing too simple from hereon. It's become a matter of pride now."

"I don't fight children. You're in my way."

"I'm sorry. You have to get past me first."

Kenshin rolled his shoulder forward casually, even as he threw his ki around Soujirou like a net. He couldn't detect anything. It was as if the boy had no ki.

He narrowed his eyes. The boy made no move to strike. He was left with no choice. Kenshin slipped back into position. The only position he could use at this point. Battojutsu.

_Beyond this boy, I will find victory. And her._

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I'm terribly sorry that this chapter has come so late. But I am so grateful to you all for sticking through with me.

Actually this chapter had a weak start. Because it describes the siege of Konan, I had trouble finding places where I could include dialogue just so those of you not interested in imagery wouldn't die of boredom. I hope I've tackled that problem effectively. Initially I had planned to describe each fight but when I sat down to write them down, I almost killed myself. So I will be including only the major fights that are Kenshin vs. Shishio, Soujirou, and Okita. Saitou vs. Sanosuke. And Kamatari vs. Aoshi.

Oh and if you want me to include these fight sequences in the drabbles instead of here in the main story, let me know. I will try doing something there since I know most of you are dying to get the story moving forward. I promise a Kenshin and Kaoru filled chapter next time plus Enishi and my new character.

Keep reading and everyone who has reviewed for this story (and for the others as well), you all get extra cookies.


	10. The Siege II

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin is the creative work of the inimitable Watsuki Nobuhiro. He owns all the characters in this story but the events and their telling belongs solely to me. Therefore, any bouquets or brickbats (hope not) can be addressed to me.

**Rating**: T for violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

* * *

Hello everyone! Dodges the rotten tomatoes 

Please excuse me for not updating for so long. But hey! Don't blame me. Blame the real world, blame work, the dusty bank, blame the boyfriend, blame coffee and cream, and blame Madhuri Dixit. Blame music, blame shopping and…….you get my point?

**Hope you like this chapter!!**

Thank you List!!

Sweet Miyu,

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone……

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

-

-

**The Siege – II**

-

-

I watched as the flower was crushed,

Under the stone wheel of the cannon,

I stared as blood flowed and seeped into the earth,

I screamed when my eyes would cry no more,

And my throat was hoarse.

I bled and the land bled with me,

The hands that stole our lives, stole our memories too.

We are lost and homeless,

Our fields cut up and given to our enemies,

But we will return and snatch them back,

The green fields whose souls are tied to ours,

We will return,

When the blood of the dead shall rise with the earth

The red earth will fly on the wind,

It will touch the fields and the land where it once ran.

The voices of the earth will cry one by one,

"I am here, I am here,

I exist, I love, and I dance,

I am free."

(**krystalMage**)

-

-

Water rose through the solid beams of bamboo and splashed against Kaoru's face. She didn't stir. Her limbs rested heavily on the bamboo beams and she remained dead to the world beyond her shut eyelids. The raft moved rapidly along the flow of the river. But with nobody to steer it carefully, it drifted too close to the riverbank, a circumstance Saitou would have wanted to avoid at any cost. The sole passenger of the raft was however, oblivious to this. She lay still, lost in dreams of anger and indignation. The course of the raft was uncertain; it floated on whim of the stream. Faster and faster, it raced down the swirling track of the river. It skidded along the surface of the large boulders that jutted out of the water, upsetting the flow of the river. And then, suddenly, it dipped and tipped over. The pallid girl resting on the raft rolled into the water.

Seconds later, a head burst out of the icy water, swallowing and gasping for air. Kaoru splashed about in confusion and fear. Her head bobbed in and out of the water as she tried to swim to the riverbank. Her hands rose above the level of the water; as though she were trying to find something solid to hold onto in the air. She kicked and thrashed about but to no purpose. The stream was moving too fast to try to cross. She tried to grab the roots growing out of the bank but her hands slipped, and she slid further down the stream. She slammed into a wall of rock. The blow should have cracked her spine but by some providential chance she escaped that dreadful fate. The thick moss that stuck to its surface shielded her from grave injury. Her shoulder rang with pain. The pain, more than anything else, opened her eyes and forced her to become ready to act.

She knew she had to get out of the water, and fast. The flow was too swift and the temperature too low for her to survive in. She shook herself free of the rock and floated along with the water, further down the bank. Her head disappeared under the water but she surfaced once more; and this time she latched on to the reeds and grass growing on the bank. She clutched them tightly. She breathed heavily, trying to grip the reeds higher. She looked around but saw nothing and nobody that could help her. The water rushed around her.

Kaoru shut her eyes and felt the pull of the water trying to suck her into the stream again. She resisted. She pulled at the grass. The muscles of her arms clenched as she strained herself to pull away from the water. She began to tremble as the strain of holding on to the grass sent tremors through her upper body. Her strength failed, and she jerked back, her hands almost letting go of the foliage that held her to the bank. Panic and fear swelled up inside her heart. Terrified of the watery grave that awaited her, she found herself pushing her body up and out of the water.

The reeds began to give way. Desperately, she scrambled onto the bank, digging her nails into the ground. She pushed at the earth, grabbing handfuls of dirt and grass, pulling herself higher and letting go. She sputtered, trying to expel the water that was trying to escape down her windpipe. She retched and coughed violently. Tears squeezed out of her eyes and she gasped repeatedly. She laid her head down on the ground, her limbs collapsed soon after. She heaved as her breathing slowly returned to normal. She turned and lay on her back, facing skyward.

Her wet hair stuck to her scalp, a few locks were plastered across her face. She swept them off her face with her fingers and tucked them behind her ears. She shivered. Her clothes were stuck to her skin and the cold wind increased her discomfort.

Far into the night, she could hear the noise of the fighting, but very faintly. The slam of the battering ram, the crashing of shields and swords were drowned out by the fervent sounds of the forest and the river. The water rushed past, exclaiming its surprise at her survival in thousands of voices. The trees seemed to have grown closer, fitting against each other snugly to tower over her. She took in her surroundings confusedly. The forest that lay beyond the river bank was completely unfamiliar to her. Furthermore, the night had changed the face of the forest completely. The trees and undergrowth that would have looked welcoming and beautiful in the light of day appeared sinister and cruel.

For the first time in her life, Kaoru felt the cold stab of loneliness. She was alone, truly alone and she did not have any idea of her whereabouts. Fear gripped her heart, a cold wave of nausea rushed over her. She took a deep breath.

She tried to sit up, pushing into the ground with both her arms. Her arms shook with the strain and collapsed soon after. She lay quietly on the ground, watching, listening to the sounds of the forest around her. She looked up at the sky. The stars wheeled around in the heavens. She wiped her tears quietly and thought about everything that had happened in the past few hours. She had been abruptly sent away form her home and she had been sent alone; there was something else at work that she had not been aware of. Her father and her uncle were not the sort of men who panicked easily. If she had been sent away from the citadel during the fighting, it meant that there had been certain danger for her life in Kansan. Danger that they could not, or would not overlook and trust to chance.

Perhaps it was the fact that she had just fought for her life in the river with everything she had and won, perhaps it was her inherent trust in her guardians, or perhaps it was the moment when Kaoru truly assumed the importance of her station, not only in name but also in deed, that she did not sink into hysterics. She had learnt the value of life. The acrid taste of death still lingered in her mouth and nose. The cruel water of the river had taught her a lesson no dojo or meeting room could teach. Life was precious; she understood the meaning of it. She had been sent away so that she could live. She did not grudge the highhandedness of her kinsmen for doing so. Her life, her existence was important to them. They had merely sought to protect what was precious to them. They had sent her out of the sphere of danger to a place where she could fend for herself, for as long as she needed to.

Kaoru buried a sneeze in her hands. She gently wiped her nose on her sleeve. The dryness in her throat niggled at her mind. She remembered the water skin tied to her leg. She pushed herself up. She slowly crawled higher up the bank to where the forest began. She swept the ground in front of her carefully, pushing away at stones, pebbles and small sticks, making sure she didn't land on a twig or dry leaf. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to alert someone to her presence.

She finally crawled away from the bank and reached the line of trees closest to her. Leaning against a tree, she stretched her leg out and meticulously began to unravel the string tying the water skin to her leg. She brought it to her lips and drank a mouthful of water. It slid down her parched throat, soothing her muscles. She gulped down another mouthful and tied the water skin once more to her leg. She decided to take stock of her situation. Looking around, she could not observe any soldiers.

She sat up and slowly peeked out from behind the tree. Nothing. There was a gentle breeze blowing, but apart from the rustle of the leaves on the trees, she could hear nothing else. She stood shakily. She stepped out of the shadow of the tree, and stopped. There was a crackling sound from one of the bushes. She spun to the left. An archer stood watching her calmly with an arrow poised on the bow. Kaoru froze.

She had no weapons save the dagger Tae had given her before she left the palace, but a dagger was no help against an arrow, and there was no question of dodging it at such short range. The archer would have to be a complete imbecile to miss a target when she stood not ten paces from him. Her blood seemed to run cold in her veins. She took a step back. The archer advanced. She calculated the time it would take her to pull the dagger out from the binding on her thigh. Her heart sank; even if she were to use it, she would be shot dead by the time she threw the dagger towards him.

He raised his bow and drew the string back tautly. Her heart thumped. She could feel her pulse race and hear the rush of her blood in her veins. Every fibre of her being protested against it. This was not the death she wanted! Her life couldn't be ending this way, so uselessly.

A twig snapped and she heard the call of a cicada. The archer stopped in his tracks and looked behind her. She heard a branch creak. She glanced at the archer questioningly but he seemed to be focussed on a spot behind her. She slowly turned her face back. A figure rose from the ground and stepped up lightly in front of Kaoru. Kaoru pulled her dagger out and slid back into the shadows once more. She was about to charge forward and plunge the blade in his shoulder when he stepped forward. The light of the moon fell across his face.

She swallowed a breath and set her lips in a grim line. It was not a face that was unfamiliar to her. Straight black hair framed a face that was as handsome as it was humorous. His lips curved into a smile to reveal a line of glistening teeth.

"Forgive me for not being here sooner Your Highness. I'm afraid you surprised us. We were expecting you to alight further downstream. "

"Is that so, Captain?" She responded testily.

"Captain Katsu at your service, your Highness." He bowed gallantly.

"What is the meaning of this, Captain?" Her voice was wry. Her fear had dissolved and was swiftly turning into irritation once more.

"It's very simple, your Highness, we're the rearguard, and along with our duty to guard the river, we were also given the responsibility of ensuring you weren't captured or swept away by the river."

She stared at him as though he'd grown two heads. "Well, forgive me if I am wrong Captain, but I think I handled the task of rescuing myself just fine. Which is more than I can say for you. " She slid the dagger back in its sheath and began to tie it to her belt.

Katsu's face fell. "You are being unnecessarily bitter your Highness. I assure you, I would not have let you drift any further."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and almost threw the dagger away in frustration. "I suppose that's why you were expecting me to drag myself out further down stream, is that it?"

Katsu opened his mouth to offer another explanation but Kaoru cut him off. She raised her hand regally, effectively telling him to hold his peace. She looked around once more.

"Rearguard, you say? How many men do you have Captain? And what are your orders?"

Katsu straightened his shoulders. "I have twenty men with me here. Twenty-one including you. The general wanted to be sure that none of the enemy find the river."

Kaoru nodded slowly. The river was essential to the defence of the citadel. It was their source of water and supplies. Few people outside the imperial palace knew about it. It was a narrow and treacherous route of water that changed its course with every season, which was a reason why it had never been mapped. The kings of Konan had discovered that keeping the river secret was most conducive to their defensive strategies. The enemy had no way of knowing that such a river existed. It flowed through a canal underneath the royal palace, more of an ornamental body of water than anything else. It was secret and it was safe. No doubt Kamatari intended it to remain secret and safe.

Katsu continued. "We've been stationed here since the battle began."

She stared back at him in amazement. "What? How long were you supposed to stay here, guarding the river? We need men at the city, not here! Nobody even knows about the river. People are dying in the city! Not just soldiers, but citizens as well, and the men need reinforcements and despite all this, you've been stationed here? _Here_, of all places?"

"Those were our orders." Katsu replied grimly.

Her only response was to shake her head. "Katsu, we need to go back to Kansan. They desperately need help there. You can imagine how bad the fight is going for us just by the fact that I'm standing here in front of you. Do you really think Taro would send me away if there was even the slightest chance that we were doing well?"

Katsu studied her face carefully before he turned to the archer. "Back to positions. Stay alert."

Kaoru stared at him incredulously. "Katsu! Captain, I am telling you we need to go back!"

He didn't answer.

"Captain, are you even listening to me? I'm telling you something here! Katsu!"

He began to walk back to where he had come from. Kaoru followed closely at his heels. She tugged insistently at his sleeve when he continued to ignore her.

"Katsu! Why aren't you listening to me?"

"Because I have received my orders. And my orders are to stay here and make sure the river is not found. Does that make it clear to you, your Highness?"

"Yes! It makes it clear that you're going to sit here and wait for an enemy who won't even show instead of going back and helping out your friends at the city who might be dying! But no, we are going to stay here and _rot_ because you can't see anything beyond your orders!" Kaoru retorted back in indignation.

"You don't understand. There's a good reason we're here." Katsu's voice dropped.

"Oh? That's strange, because that's not how it looks to me. We are wasting our time here! We should be there, helping with the fighting, not here, sitting around doing nothing!"

Katsu slowly exhaled. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now for the last time, we will stay here and finish the job General Kamatari gave us. And please, your Highness, there won't be any arguing about it."

"There _will_ be arguing about it. I've never heard of something so silly. I refuse to be a part of this. We have to go back Katsu! Why don't you understand?"

Katsu frowned. A nerve near his eyebrow twitched dangerously. "Your Highness, I will say this once and only once and I will expect you to understand and accept it. Please do not interfere. The general knew what he was doing when he posted us here. We are the last vestige of hope for everyone in that city. When the city falls, they will need safe passage out of it and we are the ones responsible for providing that. Now, if you can be of any assistance and man a post, do let me know. However, if you still believe we are not doing everything we can to help those inside the city then you may very well sit and sulk in a corner or at the very least, keep out of our way."

The silence that stretched between them was extremely uncomfortable. Neither of them spoke for a few moments. Katsu rested his hand against a tree and Kaoru stared out into the night. She was annoyed, to say the least. Katsu glanced at her, and then turned to leave when he didn't get any response from her.

Kaoru glared back at him. She was about to give a free rein to her anger and launch a verbal tirade at him when she realized that he was only doing his duty. He had been given certain orders and he had to carry them out. Asking him to disobey them and go back to the city was not appropriate by any yardstick. She had to accept that. She bit back a retort and instead took a deep breath and grasped his elbow tightly as he turned away. "I will need a bow and a quiver, Captain."

Katsu looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to stand down so soon in the argument. If he knew anything about Kaoru, it was that she was not one to let sleeping dogs lie. Her stubborn streak simply didn't allow that. He looked at her once more. Was there something he had missed? Kaoru did not appear disgruntled, or irritated. She just stood there, waiting for him to arm her and tell her what to do next. Something had changed in her. Her childish habit of being contrary and obstinate about everything seemed to have worn off.

He nodded and gestured her to remain where she was. He disappeared into the forest and reappeared a few moments later. In his hands, he held a bow and a quiver. He silently handed them over to her and pointed in the direction where she was to stand guard. As she turned to go, he placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"This bow was given to me by General Kamatari. He told me to give it to you when you reached here. He made it for you, especially for this day."

She looked up at him. There nothing but sympathy and understanding in his eyes. Kaoru bent her head and slowly walked away to a spot before a bamboo grove where she was to await further instructions. She crouched down near a tree and placed the bow carefully on her knees. She stroked it lovingly. It was beautiful. The wood gleamed softly in the light of the moon. She felt ashamed of herself for doubting Taro. He hadn't thought that she was weak. All the time he had spent helping her during her training hadn't been a lie. In his own crafty way he had made sure that she had an opportunity to help her people. She was not afraid of war or of danger. But the principles of her sword school were such that she could not bring herself to end the life of another human being.

She would not kill, not ever, not for anything. Taro had known that and so he had sent her away so that she would not have to face that decision. He didn't want her to be in a situation where she would have to choose between killing an enemy to save someone she loved. It would be a decision that would torment her forever, no matter what the justification.

She gazed tenderly at the bow, appreciating the hours Taro had put into it, the thought with which he had sent it to her and the manner in which it had made its way to her. She gripped it resolutely. The quiver had a leather strap that could be wound around her chest and right shoulder. It had a buckle that strapped it in place. She nimbly worked the leather strap around her body and buckled it in place. She drew an arrow and held it to the bowstring. She looked to her right and saw a soldier perched precariously among the branches of a tree fifteen paces away from her. He was watching her. She nodded and lifted the bow slightly to show him that she was ready. He nodded back in acknowledgement.

She looked to her left. Katsu knelt on the ground, his palm was pressed flat against the ground and his eyes were narrowed in concentration. She nudged him with the toe of her boot, getting his attention. He looked up.

"Now what? How long do we wait here?" She whispered.

"As long as we must."

-

-

The gate to the palace had collapsed. He stood upon its remains, faced with an enemy whose determined eyes belied his delicate face and slight frame.

He feigned disinterest and boredom as he looked at him. "I don't fight children. You're in my way."

"I'm sorry. You have to get past me first."

He narrowed his eyes. The boy made no move to strike. He was left with no choice. Kenshin slipped back into position. The only position he could use at this point. Battojutsu.

_Beyond this boy, I will find victory. And her._

Kenshin narrowed his eyes to take a better look at the boy who was standing in his path. It was the same boy who had apprehended him and Hannya at the teashop when they had first arrived at Konan. The boy who betrayed no emotions. The only person in the whole city whose ki he couldn't even detect, let alone read. Kenshin allowed himself a miniscule smile. His first real opponent was turning out to be quite the enigma. How interesting. Behind him, hundreds of Kutoe soldiers had already begun to rush inside the gates and run towards the palace. He cursed under his breath. He had to get to the palace before anyone else. Even though he doubted any of them would get very far, he wasn't willing to risk it.

There was a very important reason he needed to be there before anyone else. The girl in the palanquin, the girl who had stolen his peace for the past one week was at the palace. He couldn't allow his weakness to end up in someone else's hands. That would become inconvenient, very inconvenient. He didn't believe in senseless violence and bloodshed without cause, however if she happened to be found by someone other than himself, he was afraid he might do something quite rash and unsavoury in anger.

Soujirou took a step forward. The swordsman seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and seemed not to notice him. He had an air of disdain and unconcern about him. He advanced one more step. The swordsman broke out of his reverie immediately. He sheathed his sword in a flash and stood ready. Soujirou stopped.

Kenshin called out to him. "You know, I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of fighting you. You're a little more than a child."

"There's no need to worry about that. My skills will more than make up for my age."

"Is that so? Confidence is a very becoming quality. I congratulate you for possessing it."

"I will not be distracted by your senseless prattle. You seem to be an able warrior, but I am now beginning to doubt your capability. Why don't you let your sword do the talking?"

"So eager for bloodshed? How barbaric."

"Enough! If you won't make a move, then I will!" Soujirou shouted out.

Soujirou drew his sword halfway out of his sheath and shot forward towards the swordsman. Kenshin opened his eyes wide in disbelief. He couldn't even see the boy. All he knew was that he was speeding towards him. Purely by instinct, he pulled his sword out of the sheath and swung a wide arc out in front of him. The blade of his sword sang loudly as it blocked the blow made by the boy. There was a flash as the blades reflected the light of the moon as they struck. Kenshin jumped back and assumed position once more but the boy had disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen.

Kenshin spun around. He held his sword up, once more blocking a blow by his opponent. In the very next instant, he felt a blade cut across his back. He spun again but this time his sword cut across only air. There was a line of blood scrawling across his back. Kenshin gripped the hilt of his sword and readied himself once more. There was a blur in front of him as the boy sped past again. He felt a cut on his thigh, another across his waist and yet another on his upper arm. He stumbled to one knee. He propped himself up by driving the point of his katana into the ground.

Kenshin stared at the ground in utter amazement. He could not comprehend what had just happened. The boy had not just managed to trick his eyes with his blinding speed but also managed to cut him in two crucial areas. He shook with anger. He cursed under his breath once more but this time, he blamed himself. He had made the silliest mistake a swordsman could make in battle. Underestimating an opponent he knew nothing about. He should have been careful; alerted by the fact that he could barely detect any ki from the boy.

His strategy with the sword relied on how well he could read the emotions of the man facing him. And this boy seemed to have such mastery over his emotions that apart from the barest simmer of anger he could detect nothing, absolutely nothing. If things continued like this, he would be in trouble, serious trouble. He had to find another way to fight him.

He rose to his feet. The wounds on his back, his arm and thigh stung him a little but it was a pain he could deal with easily. The wounds were shallow and would soon heal. He could withstand any amount of pain and wounds received in battle without a grimace. He pulled his sword out of the ground and slightly shook his head. The boy stood waiting, a triumphant half smile already gracing his features.

"I hope I haven't troubled you too much. I am just beginning to enjoy myself. You blocked my first blows quite effectively."

Kenshin jerked his sword slightly, ridding it of dirt. "Are you surprised?"

"Yes. I believe I shall have fun fighting you. I have no doubt that it will be interesting."

Kenshin smirked. "Fine words. You do realize that the fight has just begun haven't you? Wouldn't it be better to boast once you send me off to my resting place, if you can?"

"It would, if I had any doubt whether I am able to do so or not. But I have no doubts that I will defeat you. It's not the outcome of the battle that concerns me but the manner in which I send you back."

Kenshin smiled. The trick had worked. All he needed now was to keep the boy engaged in conversation for a while longer. The next time the boy struck would be the third time he saw the technique he used to attack. Three times was enough. He would know what to do.

"Is that so? Tell me, are all the officers in your army this boastful or is your king fortunate enough to have someone who likes to let his deeds talk for him?"

Soujirou bristled. "My deeds are more than enough for the likes of you. Brace yourself, here I come!"

Soujirou charged towards Kenshin. He seemed to disappear in thin air. Kenshin narrowed his eyes. He swung his sword upwards and blocked him. Soujirou's eyes widened. He jumped back and raced forward again, faster this time. Kenshin crouched low near the ground, waiting. Soujirou leaped forward once more, this time trying to strike from the right. Kenshin blocked him. He somersaulted and knelt, facing Soujirou.

Soujirou stared at him in incomprehension. He was beginning to anticipate where he would land. He was also matching his speed.

Kenshin inhaled slowly. Unbelievably, the boy had mastered a technique that allowed him to move even faster than the Hiten Mitsuryugi godlike speed. But, he still held the advantage. He had experience in battle, a vital quality the boy did not possess. The boy was sometimes distracted by the noise around them. He had cause to be concerned. He was affected by the sight of his comrades falling to their death even though he was involved in a serious fight himself.

As the fight progressed, Kenshin gradually gained the upper hand. The boy's frustration increased with every blow he blocked, with every attack he parried, every move he anticipated. As he landed a blow of his own, slashing through the boy's arm, Kenshin felt a dam break inside the boy. His tight rein over his emotions seemed to break and he cried out in anguish.

Soujirou knelt on the ground. He held a hand up to stem the blood flowing from his arm. Glowering at Kenshin, he gripped his sword hilt tightly. Kenshin straightened. A particularly loud crash drew his attention to the left side of the battlefield. Sanosuke stood poised on the battlement. He was making way for the soldiers to pass through to the Keep. His great sword fended off arrows and attacks from swordsmen. The zanbatou was not a weapon that can be easily mastered. It requires great strength and ingenuity. Since it is a very large and bulky weapon, the wielder must always think of new ways to use it so its vulnerabilities don't become a liability.

Sanosuke rammed the zanbatou into the wall and ran along the length of it. He pulled it out. Behind him, the great wall separating the outer perimeter of the palace from the inner courtyards leading into the palace fell. Great clouds of dust and rubble flew everywhere, the soldiers who were standing on the battlements cried out as huge boulders landed on them, trapping them inside. Sanosuke grinned. He spotted Kenshin standing nearby and made his way towards him. He was taken aback as he took in the gash spread across his friend's back. Startled, he looked forward, towards the person who had managed to injure Kenshin.

His mouth fell open at the sight of Soujirou. He glanced back at Kenshin, who stood very stiffly with his jaw tightened. Soujirou was silent. He had burst a blood vessel and could feel his arm beginning to go numb. Angrily he stood and slid into position. His eyes flamed and subtle waves of disquiet emanated from him.

"I should not have underestimated you. I have paid the price for that. I apologise. I will now fight you with everything I have."

Kenshin walked to a side. He held his sword at an angle and leaned forward.

"I think we both agree on that. Can you still fight though? Your arm looks bad. Perhaps you could let me pass and we can finish this some other time."

Soujirou shook his head. "I must really worry you if you have to resort to false sympathy to make me stand down."

Kenshin sighed dramatically. "You do me a grave injury by doubting my intentions. I have none but your best interests at heart."

"Indeed. Come, my lord, let's finish this. I grow weary of standing around talking while your minions tear down my city."

Kenshin smiled and sheathed his sword. He stood perfectly straight with his hand on the hilt. Soujirou slipped into position leaning forward, ready to pull his sword out to slice through his enemy. Sanosuke stepped back. The air seemed to be almost electric. He felt an unfamiliar dread as he stood there watching Kenshin face off with this strange boy. He had never seen Kenshin injured. Kenshin never got injured; his opponents were never fast enough to land a blow on him. Besides, the way he spoke to the boy was reason enough to know that Kenshin was taking this match seriously, that he believed his opponent to be a threat to him.

He backed away, even though he didn't want to, but there was work to be done. Kenshin could handle himself, but he still needed to carve a path into the heart of the city for the men behind him. Enishi was commanding the army on the west side of the city; he would soon be inside the palace and would need cover. Aoshi was somewhere ahead of them, already inside the palace. He also needed to be on his way.

He swung his zanbatou back onto his shoulder. Silently praying for his friends and comrades, he went back to attacking the wall.

Kenshin waited. He wanted the boy to make the first move. He relaxed and let his muscles hang loose for an instant before he coiled once more, ready to strike. Soujirou stood as still as a statue, watching his opponent. He had cut him at the waist, arm and thigh. The wounds were shallow but if he opened them again while giving him new ones; it would decide the match in his favour. He tapped his foot on the ground, getting ready to unleash his ultimate technique, the Shukuchi.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes as he recognised the motions. He was getting ready for that technique again! He braced himself and concentrated on the boy. He kept tapping his foot on the ground and then suddenly, he stopped, for one tiny second, he stopped and shifted his feet. This was it! Left! He was going to hit his left side again!

Kenshin raced forward. Both the swordsmen were like blurs against the backdrop of the fortress. Kenshin pulled his sword out of the sheath, the sword gleamed brightly, he stamped his foot onto the ground and leaped into the air just as Soujirou's sword cut across. The sword found nothing but empty air. Soujirou was stunned. He stared at the empty space where his enemy had stood just seconds ago. The air pounded in his ears. He turned his face upwards.

His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. The swordsman was sailing through the air, his arms held high above his head, his sword straight as a line. Soujirou could do nothing but watch as the sword came closer and closer. The blade would soon land on his throat. His arm froze and he closed his eyes.

There was a loud clang as metal met metal. The blow erupted in his senses; it seemed to fracture the air around it and send off waves that rippled through the courtyard. Soujirou opened his eyes once more, the swordsman was on his feet, and his blade was stopped by another sword merely an inch away from his throat. Soujirou turned his eyes to the side. Gripping the blade tightly with both hands, Okita crouched low on the ground, holding off his opponent's sword with his own.

Kenshin leaped back and steadied himself by placing a hand on the ground. He hissed in frustration. It would have been all over had _he_ not interrupted. Kenshin frowned. It was _him_. Her fiancée. Okita Souji. His veins burned as he felt fury rise up within him. Of all the people to show up. He smirked. It seemed the gods were pleased with him since he was granted his wish to encounter this man this early in battle. His eyes smouldered. He bent his head. The tie on his hair snapped and broke off. When he raised his face again, his eyes were amber.

Okita exhaled. It had been close. Another second and Soujirou's head would have been severed from his body. He drew his sword back and stood. He turned towards Soujirou and grasped his shoulder. Shaking him slightly, he called out.

"Soujirou!"

Soujirou looked back at him. He seemed a little stunned. Okita didn't blame him. He'd never seen something like that himself. He was a bit shaken himself. He had no doubt that he had finally witnessed the legendary technique passed down from generations of Kutoe emperors – Hiten Mitsuryugi. This meant that this man was surely none other than the Crown Prince of Kutoe, the man who was also called Battousai.

He turned back to Soujirou. "Soujirou! Are you alright?"

Soujirou gathered himself together. His breathing returned to normal and he regained control of his senses. He nodded and sat up.

"I'm fine. I am very sorry and ashamed that you had to……"

"Don't be stupid. If it had been me, I would be just as stumped." He gripped Soujirou's uninjured arm and pulled him to his feet. They both turned. Their opponent was waiting for them. He held his sword comfortably in his hand, watching them.

"Have you had enough, or shall I continue?" He asked casually.

Okita bristled but chose to ignore his words. He lowered his voice. "Soujirou, you take the left, and I'll attack from the right." Soujirou nodded in assent. He moved away a few paces to the left. Kenshin watched him closely. Then he turned his attention to Okita who wore a grim expression on his face. The wind blew, gently sweeping the dust to and fro.

Okita turned his blade, flat side forward. Soujirou bent forward. In the next instant, both of them charged towards Kenshin. They swung their swords out towards him. He pivoted and stepped between them. They struck each other's swords. Soujirou swung to the left and brought his sword down hard on his shoulder. Kenshin blocked it with his armguard and with his free hand; he pulled out a shorter wakizashi from his belt and plunged it into Okita's leg. Okita jerked away, swinging his sword wildly at him. The blade cut across Kenshin's cheek. A short crimson line erupted on his face. Kenshin rammed the hilt of his sword face up into Okita's knee. He grabbed a handful of dust and flung it into his eyes. Okita stumbled backwards.

The three glared at each other, each panting heavily. Soujirou pulled a piece of cloth from his belt and swiftly tied it around his arm. Okita clamped his hands around the wound on his leg. The flesh was pierced roughly and he could see the white of his thighbone slightly. The blow to his knee had been severe, he could see blood pooling internally around his knee cap. Kenshin slid his finger along the cut on his face. He studied the blood on his fingers calmly. He raised his eyes to look at Okita.

"That wasn't very nice."

Okita snorted. "It looks quite fetching."

Kenshin laughed softly. "Not quite as fetching as you'll look with my sword running through your heart."

Okita tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve. Watching the Battousai intently, he wrapped the strip tightly around his leg. The strip turned bloody. He looked up.

"That is a dream you'll have to forget, Battousai."

"Has anyone ever told you it's a bad idea to be delusional?"

Okita stood. From the corner of his eye, he saw Soujirou sidling to the side, so that he stood behind the Battousai. This was their chance to strike together and finish him off. He had no doubt that Battousai was leading the army. With their principal warrior taken out, they would have to fall back, for a while at least.

He gripped his katana with both hands. The pain in his leg was staggering. He needed to withdraw and see a healer soon, or he wouldn't have a leg to fight with. He looked over Battousai's shoulder. His eyes met Soujirou's. Nodding in unison, both the swordsmen charged once more.

Kenshin frowned. He prepared to counter with an attack of his own but before he could make a move, the shadow of an enormous sword fell in front of him. Sanosuke held his zanbatou in front of him like a shield. Kenshin grinned. He pivoted and faced Soujirou. The loud clang of swords reverberated throughout the courtyard.

Sanosuke turned his face slightly. "Kenshin, you alright?"

"Nothing to worry about."

"Just checking." He smirked as his eyes fell on Okita who glared back at him. Sano propped his sword on his shoulder and turned to Kenshin.

"How about you let me handle these two for you?"

Kenshin shook his head. "No."

"Kenshin, you still have the king to fight. There's no point in getting exhausted even before you reach the palace. Let me help out."

Kenshin seemed pensive, as though he were struggling with himself. Sano nudged him towards the street to the palace. Kenshin looked at him questioningly. Sano jerked his head towards the palace and gestured for him to leave. Nodding tersely, he sheathed his sword, and began to walk towards the palace.

"Running away?" Okita called out behind him. Kenshin stopped. He turned to face him. Okita was taken aback by the dangerous hue of his eyes.

"I will finish this match when you're in a position to fight me. For now, you should take care of that leg." He spun on his heel and walked away. Okita tried to rush to him to stop him but was stopped by Sano's zanbatou.

Sano grinned. "Hey, I'm beginning to feel neglected here."

"What do you want?" Okita asked irritably.

Sano smiled, revealing a set of gleaming teeth. "Let's fight."

-

-

Enishi dug his heel slightly into the side of his horse. The proud stallion seemed to understand every nuance of his master's commands. He broke into a brisk trot and came to a halt at the crown of the hill where soldiers had positioned the cannons. One of them looked up now and spoke.

"We're ready, Commander."

Enishi nodded and pulled the reins gently. The stallion swung around to face the citadel once more. The fires were beginning to die away in the western quarter of the city but they were still raging wildly in the eastern and southern quarters where Aoshi and Kenshin had been stationed. Despite his annoyance with the crown prince, Enishi admired his prowess at exploiting the situation to his own advantage. Kenshin had asked for Sanosuke to be sent ahead, changing strategy completely. But it was a gamble that had paid off. The boundary walls were already weak because of the fires, and with Sanosuke on the rampage, it wouldn't be long before the palace was wide open to them.

That would be his cue to attack.

"Once we get the signal, you will lead the rest of the men in and follow your own counsel." Those were his orders from Takasugi.

There was a flash near the sentinel tower of the southern battlement. He narrowed his eyes; a banner was being raised on the flagstaff. It was the golden dragon of Kutoe, fluttering triumphantly from the sentinel tower. The city had all but fallen, only the palace remained. That was the signal! Kenshin had entered the palace. This was it!

Enishi turned to the cannons. "Fire!"

The thundering sound of the cannonball shooting out from the cannon drowned out every other noise. It sailed through the air and crashed into the perimeter wall of the city. The walls crumbled and toppled down. Enishi raised his sword and rallied his men to charge. They ran down the hill, their spears and swords thrust forward. Wave upon wave of soldiers entered the ravaged city. The cry of the battle horn wailed from every direction.

-

-

Aoshi knelt and gently held his water skin to Kamatari's lips. The injured man cracked one eye open and raised his eyebrow questioningly. Aoshi squirmed slightly under his gaze.

Kamatari smiled. "Are you sure it's alright for you to be offering sustenance to the enemy, my lord?"

Aoshi flinched inwardly. He remained silent. He reached behind Kamatari's head and helped him sit up. Once again, he held the water skin to Kamatari, desperately hoping that he would accept.

Kamatari stared at it for a long time before he reached forward and took it. He hungrily drank mouthful after mouthful of water. When he was finished, he wiped his face with his sleeve and handed the skin back to Aoshi. Aoshi took it without a word, and stood up.

"Now what happens? Are you going to clap me in irons and drag me back to Kutoe to be presented to your emperor?"

Aoshi looked out. The flag of Kutoe was fluttering high on the palace walls. There was rubble everywhere. The women, children and many of the courtiers had already fled the palace, disappearing from some secret passage that he hadn't even been aware of. Only a few people remained in the palace, one lay dying in front of him, another was waiting for a warrior strong enough to kill him in the innermost courtyard of the palace.

The struggle was over. There was nothing more left to fight for and nobody left to fight with. The city was theirs. The princess was nowhere to be found; Kenshin would be disappointed.

He leaned against the window, exhausted. The fight had been a long one, Kamatari was a tricky opponent. Despite being the weaker fighter amongst the two, he had still managed to trouble Aoshi to the point of making him use his trump card technique. It had taken a lot out of him.

Besides, he had desperately wished that he wouldn't be the one who would have to face Kamatari in battle. The simple reason being, he hadn't wanted to kill him.

"You will be treated with the utmost dignity, even as a prisoner."

Kamatari laughed uproariously. He laughed till his sides ached. Aoshi stared at him confusedly. Kamatari panted slightly as his laughter ebbed away. He stared at his feet.

"Dignity….there is no dignity in being a prisoner Aoshi. Dignity is very expensive, you see, only those that are free have dignity. A slave has no dignity, a _prisoner_ has no dignity."

Aoshi cringed at the venomous timber of his words. He turned away. Kamatari slowly shuffled to his feet. He stood for a second before crumbling and falling face first in the rubble. Aoshi didn't turn. Kamatari pushed his hands into the floor, and slowly stood once more. Knees shaking, he made his way forward with jerky steps. He bent and picked up his sword. His fingers shook. He turned the blade towards himself, ready to plunge it into his flesh. Aoshi gripped the blade with his hand. Kamatari stared at him, a desperate plea burning in his eyes. Aoshi didn't loosen his grip on the blade. Kamatari placed the tip of the blade on his chest.

A faint sound distracted both of them. Aoshi looked out the window in confusion. It sounded like a strong wind, but there was nothing more than a calm breeze outside. The sound became louder. He realised what it was only when it came crashing through the wall. The cannonball landed on the floor with a wild thud. The floor creaked and caved in. Aoshi leaped and landed on the window sill. He stretched his hand out and caught Kamatari's arm.

The floor slid and crashed into the rubble beneath. Kamatari dangled precariously. He jerked at his arm. Aoshi held on steadfast.

He turned his eyes skyward. "Let me have my dignity Aoshi."

Aoshi's eyes widened. His arm shook. He remembered a sunny afternoon spent drinking sake and talking about horses. He loosened his grip and let Kamatari fall into the dark abyss below. The ceiling broke away as the barrage of cannon fire continued. It crashed into the hole.

"Farewell…my friend."

-

-

The last of the rafts had banked on the shore. The trail was decided and people were being led away south t safer districts till the fires of the war died out. Katsu breathed a sigh of relief. More people than they had counted upon had been saved. The plan had been successful. Apparently the enemy hadn't discovered the river till very late in the battle. The people of Konan were safe. It was time to move on and find them a new home.

Wearily, he made his way to where Kaoru was helping with the injured and thirsty. He marvelled at her strength. She had been tending to the sick and setting people off on the trails to the south for hours. But now, it was time to go.

"Your Highness, it's time to go."

Kaoru looked up. She wiped her hands. "I haven't heard from Taro or Da yet. And I don't even know where Okita is. I can't go yet."

Katsu sighed. "Your Highness, we can't wait for them here. We have to move on."

"No. I've been sent ahead once. I refuse to do so again."

"But Your Highness!"

Kaoru smiled. "Don't worry, I'll tell them I left you without a choice."

"They are not going to believe that in any circumstance."

"Oh I think they will, when they see you." She walked a little distance away. Casually, she picked up a crossbow lying on the ground. It's owner was being tended to.

Katsu frowned. He was about to ask what she meant when he felt a burning pain in his thigh. He looked down. An arrow was embedded in it. He looked incredulously at her again. She stood with the crossbow held up towards him.

She was already backing away into the forest. "I'm sorry Katsu. But this is something I have to do." She turned and ran.

"No! Your Highness! You can't! They'll….they'll hurt you, kill you! Your highness! Kaoru! Kaoru! KAORU!!!"

She was gone.

-

-

Kenshin pushed the door open. He peered inside. The courtyard felt like a furnace. Fires were burning at every corner. In the middle of that burning inferno, a solitary figure stood gazing up at the moon. He wore a loose kimono. A long sword rested at his hip. He had no shield, and wore no armguards.

Kenshin stood at the door, waiting to be noticed by the renegade king.

Shishio turned. His eyes seemed to tear through his mind and burn him. Kenshin narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.

"I have been waiting for you." Shishio stepped forward. "I hope you are not weak; that would put a dampener on my plans."

Kenshin smirked.

"You needn't fear. I'll give you a swift death."

"A swift death to you Battousai!" Shishio drew his sword and charged forward.

The glint of their blades shone brightly in the night, but there was no one present to see them. They crashed again and again into each other. The steel that danced through their flesh became coated with their blood. Every cut and blow seemed to be the last but still they tricked death and courted victory.

The night was engulfed in the cry of pain and conquest. Beneath the rubble of the palace, a limp figure tried to retain the breath of life. A commander celebrated his first war and passage to the bloody field of warriors live. And a young girl made her way back to her home, but she didn't know that race backwards would only turn distance back, not time. The lovely home she had left was now submerged in flames. Kaoru stood at the crown of the hills south of Kansan. The heart of the city was burning and the cries of triumph from those that burnt it rang wildly in the air.

She dropped to the ground. Her cries mingled with the wind and her screams with the screech of the vultures that whirled overhead.

Konan was dead.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Hello everyone! Dodges the rotten tomatoes once again

Anyways, I know it was a really long chapter. I hope none of you got too tired reading. This happens to be my favourite chapter. Well, each chapter is my favourite when I write it.

I know I said I would have almost everyone fighting in this chappie but if I actually did that, this chapter would have been even longer and I really want to get on with the story, so I truncated almost all the fights.

However I will include them in the drabbles. Personally I like writing fight scenes, and battle, it's really satisfying but I know what you guys want. So, this is the end of battle for now. Henceforth, all you Kenshin- Kaoru shippers are going to be rejoicing.

I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.

Thank you!


	11. The Dying of the Storm

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin is the creative work of the inimitable Watsuki Nobuhiro. He owns all the characters in this story but the events and their telling belongs solely to me. Therefore, any bouquets or brickbats (hope not) can be addressed to me.

**Rating**: T for violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

**Hope you like this chapter!!**

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone……

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter ****11: The Dying of the Storm**

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* * *

The sky sparkled with the brilliance of a thousand shining stars. The moon swept behind a curtain of clouds. Its silver light swam with the shadows and the wind. It danced and played upon the water flowing gently under the bridge. It was a beautiful night. The elements seemed to join together to create a night to remember. On a night such as this, it would be easy to imagine what it was like to be young again. It was a night that inspired even the dullest and staid person to dream once again, dream of love, adventure and romance.

But for the man seated alone on a terrace of the Kutou imperial palace, the night held no charm. He seemed to be unmoved by the beauty of the world. He sat as though lost in deep meditation but a single glance at his intense eyes would banish any thoughts that an onlooker might have of the man being an ascetic. No ascetic would wear power as he did, omnisciently, like a cloak. Hiko Seijurou XIII looked far beyond the horizon. He did not see the sakura petals flitting in the breeze to land upon the pristine waters of the many pools in the garden, or listen to the whistle of the wind in the trees.

Instead, the clash of a thousand swords rang in his ears. His heart beat faster as though he could feel the charge of the cavalry racing towards him. Even though he no longer led his armies into the battlefield, he could still feel their pulses race and their hearts surge as he stood here, miles away from Konan. It was an important battle. It was the battle that would cement his people's favour in his choice of an heir. Kenshin had surpassed his expectations in every test set for him. He fulfilled every condition to be an able successor to the throne. With the conquest of Konan, any dissent and opposition to his claim to the throne would vanish. Once and for all.

His will was done without question, without thought, because he was the most successful monarch Kutou had ever known. However, Hiko knew that while his decision to make Kenshin his heir was accepted unquestioningly like everything else, apprehensions with respect to Kenshin existed even in his court. Most of his councillors felt threatened by Kenshin. They were afraid of him. They were afraid of the unfettered accuracy of his skill, the cold, detached manner in which he made his decisions, but above all they were afraid of his lack of fear. He feared nothing and nobody. Reason and argument often failed in the face of a man who is not afraid of anything. It left them no space to bargain, or negotiate. It denied them even the playful, indulgent nod to power Hiko sometimes allowed them.

In all fairness, their position was far from peaceful but he really couldn't trouble himself over that. They would have to learn how to deal with Kenshin or they would have to leave. Simple.

There were just two ruses they could use to counter this problem. First, they could appeal to Kenshin's sense of benevolence and urge him to adopt a more open, benign and encouraging persona. Secondly, Kenshin would have to keep alive the last hope the Council cherished of finding a weakness in his armour. Hiko smirked. The chances of both were painfully slim. He raised his chin. Kenshin would return a hero and his ascent to the throne was certain. Only this time, when he returned, the conquest of Konan would be enough to silence his critics, if he had any left by the time he returned.

Hiko stared towards the south. _Come back soon bakadeshi_.

-

-

The night passed slowly. For those who had lost their homes and their lives at the hands of Kutou's invasion, it was a night that was etched deeply into their hearts and minds. It was a wound that would spoil and fester for many years to come. They did not know yet what to call the feeling in their hearts. It was not hatred, nor regret, nor sadness. It was despair. Numbed as they were by their loss, they stared as the boats and the trails in the forest led them to safety. Further and further away from the city they had known as home, from the king who had been like an affectionate and just father in a large household. They would never forget the smell of burning flesh and timber, the earth-shattering crash of the walls, and the acrid smell of death that lingered in every street and house of Kansan.

They wept with open eyes. Tears streamed down their cheeks and their eyes burned. Silent tears slid down their cheeks but they did not make a sound. A lump grew in their throats and refused to be dislodged. The pain swelled and became acute but all they could do was stare. They stared as they were bundled into boats to be taken down the river. The world fell apart but they were still alive. It was a confusing and perplexing situation to be in.

Most of the lines of people had disappeared into the forests. Only one line remained. A little girl stood at the head of it, clutching the hand of her mother. She watched with some temerity as soldiers handed a spear or sword to every man. Behind them, the wounded were being treated for burns and minor injuries. And a soldier walked about with a large oilskin filled with water. He would stoop and give a little water and then move on to the next person.

The girl tugged at her mother's hand. "Can we go home now?" The mother lifted her into her arms and pressed her little head to her chest. Patting her back gently, she replied, "We can't go home right now Maki."

The girl rubbed her cheek against her mother's shoulder. "Why not?"

The woman bit her lip. She remained silent. What could she tell her daughter about war and battle? She had no answers to the inevitable questions about death and why they had to leave because the Kutou army was here and would imprison them or worse, kill them if they returned home.

"Why can't we go home Mother?"

"You will go home." A firm voice answered her. Mother and child both turned to find a man in uniform standing in front of them. It was the soldier giving water to everyone. He stepped forward. His face was grim but he smiled. "One day, you will return. But until that day comes, you must remain patient and be brave for your mother."

"But, why can't we go home now?" The girl persisted in the innocent manner children have. The soldier kept his water skin on the ground and knelt to face the little girl.

"Sometimes, when adults quarrel, children must bear the brunt of it. You see child, this is a quarrel between our king and the emperor of Kutou. The emperor wants to take our homes but our king won't allow that. See? They are quarrelling about it. But when their quarrel is over, you may return."

"It's a quarrel?"

"Yes little one. Now, promise me that you will be brave and patient."

The child smiled. She used to fight with her brothers and it took them time to make up. Surely the king and the emperor would also take a little time but it would all be alright. When they finished playing at quarrelling, she could return home. She turned to her mother.

"I promise to be brave Mama. I'll look after you."

The soldier grinned in amusement. The woman turned to him and smiled with gratitude. They were ushered into the next boat. The soldier watched them go then turned around. Walking briskly, he made his way to a small clearing where they had made camp.

The fire was almost out. A couple of soldiers knelt near it and poked about at its base trying to find a few embers to fuel it once more. They looked up as he walked up to them. Noticing the water skin in his hands, they jerked their heads back towards the figure propped up against a tree behind them. The soldier swung the water skin off his shoulder and knelt gently near the man.

"Captain, I have brought water." He spoke softly. The man nodded slowly. The soldier leaned forward, grasping the man's shoulder, he helped him sit up. He opened the water skin and held it to the man's lips. The man was about to drink when he stopped.

"Have all the boats left?"

"Yes Captain. I saw the last one off myself. All our people have been accounted for. They are safe."

Katsu nodded once more. His voice was weak and strained. He drank a little water then fell back against the tree. The fever was getting worse. His chances of finding a healer were becoming slim. He glanced down at his leg. The arrow had left a nasty looking gash in his leg. He had cleaned it twice since Kaoru had run away after shooting him in the leg. The skin around the bruise was discolored and the blood refused to clot. In these circumstances he knew he might not last the night.

He had completed the task given him by General Kamatari, with the exception of course, of the princess running away. He didn't know how he was going to answer for that but he hoped that the general would be reasonable. He groaned. Reasonable? What a laugh! Since when had General Kamatari been reasonable about anything concerning Kaoru?

He looked up to find the soldier watching him with concern. "How are you feeling now sir?"

"Oh", Katsu grinned. "Apart from the fact that I want to break my oath of fealty and strangle Princess Kaoru the minute I set my eyes on her, I should say I'm feeling pretty well."

The soldier blinked and looked around to check if anyone else had heard the captain's comment. Katsu fell back against the tree once more. The pain in his leg intensified. He clamped his fingers around the wound, wishing that the pain would go away. _Damn it Your Highness! Why do you always have to be so damned difficult?_

_-_

_-_

Kaoru woke with a start. Her back felt wet and she could feel an insect scurry across the back of her neck. She sat up with a shudder and brushed it away instantly. It fell to the ground with a soft 'plop'. Kaoru grimaced at the sight of its many legs. She rubbed her neck a couple of times just to reassure herself that it was gone and had left no remnant on her skin. The centipede moved away, leaving Kaoru to face her increasing set of troubles.

She propped herself up on one elbow and looked out. She lay on a grassy hill just outside the city. The stars wheeled overhead. Her head swam and she saw huge bursts of light in the firmament. She screwed her eyes shut tightly, so tightly that they began to smart with pain. Large red spots blinked in the pitch black behind her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes again. The stars were just as brilliant but this time, they did not seem in the mood to blind her. She stretched her hand out and felt soft grass under her fingertips. She stopped.

She did not remember fainting but that must be what had happened. Her tongue felt dry and she was sure that if she attempted to speak now, all that would come out of her mouth would be an unintelligible croak. She tried to swallow but it was of no use. Her mouth was too dry; her tongue only seemed to hurt her the more she tried to squeeze some moisture out of it.

A sudden flash of memory brought her back to her senses. Kaoru jolted up. Her heart sank once more. Beyond the perimeter walls, the entire city seemed to be gutted in flames. Kaoru sat up on her knees. It was all burning. Smoke rose in thick clouds from hundreds of points in the city. As the wind changed direction, Kaoru was hit full in the face with the pungent odors of burning timber and cloth and the sinister, repugnant smell of burning of a substance that could only be human flesh. Kaoru gagged. As the odor filled her nose, she retched and turning to a side, hurled violently on the ground.

She coughed and retched again and again. Screaming in annoyance, anger and resignation, she spat several times, trying to expel the revolting taste of bile from her mouth. Finally, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and stood up shakily. The view of the valley opened up in front of her.

Small, round tents surrounded the perimeter wall of Kansan. Each tent seemed to have three torches burning brightly outside it. She slowly counted the number of the tents. There were more than eight hundred. Realistically, if there were four soldiers to each tent, there were currently more than three thousand Kutou soldiers surrounding the city. There was no telling how many occupied the city within the walls. That was than the entire Konan army put together! The centre of the city where the administrative offices and the royal palace were located seemed largely untouched by flame. She had no doubt that the Kutou commanders had decided to use those chambers as temporary residences.

She burned with anger and resentment as the thought of her beloved palace being used by some Kutou general occurred to her. She would rather it burned to the ground than serve its invaders. Her fingers clenched into a fist and she rammed it deep into the ground as she spied the Kutou flag with twin golden dragons on a crimson background fluttering from the spires. The earth gave way and her fist sunk into it. She sat there for the longest time, seething in rage. There had to be something she could do! Something, anything!

_Anger is a useless emotion. As a swordswoman you must learn to set anger aside. Not only does it render one incapable of __rationalization, it heats up the body and drains vital energy which when properly used can be the deciding factor in a match. _

Kamatari's lesson rang in her ears. She looked away from the burning city, trying to calm herself down. She unscrewed the top of her water skin and raised it to her lips. As the cool liquid slid down her tongue, she felt it swell and greedily drank the remainder of the water. Securing the water skin carefully to her belt, she sat down and took a deep breath.

Kansan was lost. The city was occupied and the army had been defeated. Repeating the fact over and over in her head, she was trying to view it as she would an event which had occurred in the past. Kansan now belonged to the past. There would be nothing gained by crying or getting angry. There was work to be done. And she could not allow herself to fall apart now, when she needed to do something about it. Kaoru stood. Her back still hurt from the blow she'd taken in the river but the rest of her bruises had more or less healed. She winced as the muscles in her lower back tensed painfully.

She began to descend the hill at a swift pace. She slid down the hill, balancing her feet on rocks and stones where there was no path. The slender beech trees provided support to hold onto when the pace became too fast.

By the time she had reached the foot of the hill, she had a plan formulated in her mind. All she needed now was a different set of clothes, so she could travel unmolested. The others could be anywhere, in any part of the kingdom. She would need a disguise that did not raise too many eyebrows and that was not ridiculous. Above all, the disguise should make her seem invisible, someone that nobody would remember after meeting. She didn't know if there was a scout out to find her, but she wouldn't be surprised if there were. She was the sole heir to Konan's throne. Her death would simplify things for the Kutou emperor. But, she was not going to make it so easy for him. She would have to be found in order to be killed. And she wasn't ready to die just yet.

Her most pressing need was to find out where her friends had escaped to. Flight through the river would have been impossible once the enemy reached the palace, otherwise they would have come to the rearguard campsite. Therefore, there had to be another way they had escaped. She did not believe that her father was dead. Nor could she think that Kamatari, Okita or Soujirou had fallen. They were all alive, they had to be! The gods would not be so cruel to take away her family from her. According to their plan, they had left her safely with Katsu and so they would try to reach her there. Determinedly, she began to walk back in the direction she'd come from.

_If I had known I'd be walking back to the very place I came from, I really don't think I would__ have run away from Katsu like that. _Speaking of Katsu, Kaoru pulled a face as she thought about the wound she'd given him just before she'd left. She smacked herself across the face. That had been an incredibly foolish thing to do. He was one of her men and she had deliberately injured him. She shook her head. How would she ever make up for that? She had deliberately made things even harder for herself. With Katsu around, she wouldn't have to worry as much since he'd be there to shoulder some of the responsibility and pint her in the right direction if she made a mistake. But now, she would have to figure out what to do alone.

Kaoru gripped her bow even tighter and broke into a run, heading back to the clearing where she'd last seen Katsu. The black mood which had gripped her earlier seemed to have vanished. She pushed indecision and despair out of her mind. Indecision would slow her down and despair…despair would kill her. The only way to make her way back to her family and her home was to keep moving, keep walking forward. Kaoru bent her head forward and sprinted. She leaped over fallen trees and raced through the forest, trying to reach the rearguard.

A loud crashing sound suddenly boomed through the woods. Kaoru stopped in her tracks. She froze for a moment, and then frantically swung herself up into a tree. It sounded like cannon fire. _They must be tearing down the interior walls_. Perched precariously on one of the lower branches, she peered carefully at the path she had taken and winced. She had left a clear trail! Even the dullest of trackers would have no trouble finding her. In her hurry to get away from the ruins of Kansan, she had forgotten that the enemy's spies would soon be sent out to track down the survivors. And here she was, leading them straight to the rearguard and Katsu! Small branches were bent helter skelter; deep imprints of her shoes nestled in the ground and there was no counting the number of dry twigs that lay snapped under the force of her footfall.

Kaoru bit her lip thoughtfully. Making her mind up, she gently jumped off the branch and landed on the ground. She studied the ground and took two steps forward, carefully stepping on leaves. Poised once more on the path she had been carving towards the rearguard, she turned on a tangent that would first lead north and then west, in the opposite direction from where she had been going and began to run. She ran just as recklessly as she had earlier. She could only hope that the trick would hold well and the trackers would be led away from the refugee trails. But this was taking her further and further away from Katsu and into the forest lying west of Kansan, close to the Kutou border. It would take her days to return. And what if Katsu and his men moved away in the interim? How was she supposed to find them? Kaoru groaned but kept running. There was nothing else she could do at the moment. Besides, she was more or less responsible for this. Taking the trackers off their trail was the least she could do to make up for shooting Katsu earlier. All she had to do was make sure they followed her and not them.

Kaoru grinned as she gleefully trod upon another dry twig. That shouldn't be too hard but it meant being alone again. The safest course of action would be to wait until the search was over. She could easily find room to hide in one of the monasteries near the Kutou border. Kamatari had once taken her and Soujirou along on a visit to the Rimling monastery. The austere and stark atmosphere of the monastery had stunned her. The monks had little by way of worldly possessions but the brilliant light on their faces bespoke a wealth far greater than one they, as royalty would ever know. They lived an isolated, ascetic life and weren't concerned with the goings on of the world outside. If she appealed to them for help, they would grant her a place to stay while the search for her continued outside.

-

-

Beshimi narrowed his eyes. The soft earth of the hills had preserved the footprints perfectly. He touched the imprint lightly with his fingers. The imprint was very faint, hardly visible. One would miss it easily unless one knew to look for it. But it was not in the nature of the Oniwabanshu to miss anything. Beshimi drew a small pouch from his belt. Slipping his nimble fingers inside, he found what he was looking for. Pulling his hand out a moment later, he sprinkled very fine, gray sand over the imprint.

He carefully dropped the rest of the sand back in the pouch and leaned over to study the imprint. As far as he could judge, it could only have been made by the sole of a kidskin shoe. It was clearly the footprint of a woman. He turned and stared at the grass. The blades were bent at an odd angle. Someone had lain there not long ago. There were depressions where the grass had been pushed into the earth. They had obviously been kneeling, fingers clenched into fists. Whoever it was, had watched the valley for a long time before deciding to leave. He crouched near the depression. Studying them carefully, he pursed his lips and turned back to where the trail entered the forest. Beshimi stood and stared into the trees. They grew thickly together, the branches and leaves entwined into a mesh.

He heard a heavy step behind him. Hyottoko yawned and raised his hand to scratch his neck.

"There you are. Lord Shinomori is asking for you."

Beshimi glanced at the imprint once more before answering. "I shall be with him right away."

Hyottoko looked around. "Find anything?"

Beshimi looked up at his colleague. His razor-sharp teeth glinted as he smiled. "Oh yes. I have found something."

-

-

The two Oniwabanshu ninjas returned to the camp by separate paths. Beshimi arrived first. He made a beeline for the tent of his master but Aoshi was not inside. He looked around the campsite. Most of the army was fast asleep. The invasion was over successfully which meant that they could rest their weary limbs. Other soldiers, who were on guard, sat huddled together in groups of four or five, warming their hands at fires lit every few paces throughout the camp. They kept an eye trained on the area around them. There was no place where an enemy could hide. The camp was set up in such a manner.

The unfortunate ones who were not ordered to rest were picking their way through the rubble, looking for survivors and unearthing corpses; corpses that needed a proper burial and a prayer to show them the way to heaven. This was a task of the utmost importance. If even one soul slipped away from the path beyond the skies, there would be certain retribution. The dragons who ruled the heavens and who gave their emperor strength would be displeased, and although the people of Kutou ruled almost the entire world, they had not yet found the power or the courage to disrespect the dragons.

Taking one last glance of the camp, Beshimi set off towards the tent of the Crown Prince at a brisk pace. Kenshin's tent was pitched in the center of the camp. It was a very large tent covered with thick sheets of crimson velvet. Ropes of gold satin thread outlined the flaps of cloth that served as doors and windows. The banner of the Lightning emperor flew proudly from a spire in the roof. Thick ropes held the tent upright and horses were tethered a short distance away. Two guards stood at attention at the entrance. As Beshimi drew close, one of them turned and whispered to another guard standing inside. They drew their spears aside as he walked up to the entrance, letting him pass.

Beshimi lifted the thick velvet flap and shuffled inside. The opulence of the interior was fit for the man who presided inside. A plush silk carpet in maroon and gold lay upon the floor. It was covered with furry throw rugs made from sheepskin here and there. Although there was a torch burning brightly at every pillar of the tent, additional lamps made of glass had been placed upon low rosewood tables. The crown prince sat at one of these, holding a lamp over a large map of Konan. He was surrounded by his generals, two of whom were his friends and one whom he perceived of as a nuisance.

He looked up as soon as Beshimi entered. Casting a customary glance over the tiny ninja, he turned his attention back to the map. Aoshi stood and stepped forward. Beshimi was about to tell him about the marks he'd found on the southern hills but before he could say anything, Aoshi had orders ready for him.

"Beshimi, I want you to go survey the underground river with Hannya and submit a report to me by noon." His eyes were red and slightly swollen. The toll that the invasion had taken upon him was easily visible. Beshimi nodded. He bowed to the prince and left the tent. He could inform his master about the footprints later. A woman's footprints may not be as important as finding the tracks of the generals of the defeated army.

Suddenly there was a thud. Kenshin had placed the lamp down hard on the surface of the table. Beside him, Enishi pursed his lips and silently picked the lamp up once more so that the light streamed over the parchment. His face was strained and he looked tense. Kenshin ignored him. Instead, he turned to Aoshi.

"Aoshi, is there any progress on finding Shishio's generals?"

"We are working on it Kenshin." Aoshi replied calmly, although strains of weariness crept into his voice.

Kenshin tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. "Why didn't we know about this river until now? It was their grand escape route. Are you telling me that there was no one in Shishio's court who could have told your spies about this?" Kenshin's words felt like poison. Aoshi bristled.

"It was a route only the royal family knew about. The escape plan was formed by Kamatari and he kept his own counsel. Even the soldiers responsible for getting the people out didn't know until two days ago. Kamatari refused to let anyone know."

"Is that what I should tell Shishou? That the plan was so well-guarded that even the Oniwabanshu failed?"

Aoshi turned, eyes blazing. "I don't consider it a failure, and neither should you! The Oniwabanshu has never failed."

Kenshin stood. "Make sure it doesn't start now." Aoshi glared back at him with anger and injured pride. Enishi slowly looked from one to the other. Hearing Kenshin's stinging words was nothing new to him but he doubted that Aoshi had ever been in this sort of situation. He was stunned himself. He'd never imagined that Kenshin could be so taxing with Aoshi. Well, it just proved that where Kenshin was concerned, nobody was spared.

"Will you two stop it? You sound like you're back in Okina's dojo." Sanosuke's weak voice floated across. Everyone turned to look in the corner behind Kenshin. Sanosuke lay upon a divan covered with quilts. There was a wet cloth on his head and bandages around his left shoulder. His skin had taken on a yellowish hue. He had lost a lot of blood.

Kenshin walked over to him and drew the quilt aside. The bandages were soaked again. He frowned. Sano was losing blood too fast. He called for the healer. By the time Sano's wound was cleaned and bandages changed, the sun had risen. Enishi watched in surprise as Kenshin sat at Sano's side and forced him to eat and drink as the healer had ordered. He'd never seen Kenshin like this, concerned or worried about someone else. He felt a twinge of envy as Sanosuke softly answered Kenshin's questions on the pain. He had never seen this side of the prince. Kenshin was always high-handed with him. Each time they spoke, the conversation turned sour since all Kenshin could do was mock him and all he could counter with was acerbic bitterness. The easy camaraderie that Sanosuke enjoyed with him was unimaginable to him.

"I wish I had listened to Megumi." Kenshin said softly. Sanosuke opened his eyes and looked at his friend.

"Why? What happened?" He asked slowly, dreading the answer but wanting to know all the same.

"I didn't bring her medicine with me this time."

Sano breathed an inward sigh of relief and then tried to seem annoyed. "Why the hell not, you idiot? It would've helped."

Kenshin shrugged. "I was hoping she'd give it to you."

Sanosuke stared at Kenshin. Kenshin was silent. Sanosuke looked away finally. "Idiot. Why didn't you say anything?" Kenshin shrugged once more.

"It wasn't my place to say anything," he grinned, "Besides; I was having too much fun watching you make a fool out of yourself each time you're around her."

Sanosuke attempted to get up. "Bastard! That was low!" Aoshi rushed over and pushed him back on the divan, glaring at Kenshin.

He held Sanosuke's arms down and forced him back. "Calm down Sano. You're injured and you're going to rip your stitches if you keep this up." Turning to Kenshin, he snarled, "don't you have better things to do right now?"

Kenshin looked at him. "Now that you mention it, I wasn't quite through with you."

Aoshi took a deep breath. Settling himself beside Sanosuke, he looked at Kenshin. "Alright, I should've known what Kamatari was planning but I didn't. The invasion is over, and we have the city in our grip. All that remains now is to track Shishio's generals and deal with them. It will not take long. My men are on it as we speak. They will find them Kenshin, believe me."

"And if they do not?"

"Rebels don't last long in Kutou." Aoshi replied with an air of finality. Kenshin held his eyes for a while and then looked away. The matter was forgotten. Enishi's face fell. He was expecting more fireworks but it seemed like nothing else was forthcoming. He glanced at Sanosuke. He was fading fast.

Enishi slowly walked over to his side. He had dreaded joining Kenshin's squad of officers but Sanosuke had made him feel like he really belonged there, amongst the best warriors in the Kutou army. He encouraged Enishi to speak his mind, and to be confident about his ideas and strategy. The change was visible in the manner with which other members of the squadron associated with him. Sanosuke believed in him. Enishi had, after a long struggle, gained the confidence of his peers. He had started to believe in himself and his abilities, both as a swordsman and as a commander. Seeing him like this, pallid and weak shook him to the core. Sanosuke was vibrant and full of life, like the sun. Stasis did not suit him.

He felt the cloth on Sanosuke's forehead. It was almost dry. He picked it off and set it aside. Dipping another strip of cloth into the cool basin placed beside the divan, he glanced at his comrade. Sanosuke was panting softly. The fever was getting worse. Enishi wrung the strip and placed it upon Sanosuke's temples.

Sanosuke looked up and smiled.

"What's this? I have a Yukishiro nursing me. The boys at the Academy would never believe it."

"It's the least I can do for you. I owe you a great deal."

"Really? Hey! Were you the guy I beat at Bones last week?" Sanosuke looked at Enishi suspiciously. Apparently, one of the soldiers had lost at Bones but had forgotten to surrender the bet money. Sanosuke was miffed to say the least. Gambling was like a side business for him. On the rare occasion that he won, he made sure he collected his dues. But, this time, someone had given him the slip.

Enishi shook this head. "Sorry. I don't know how to play Bones."

"That's alright. Neither did that guy."

"You bet against a novice? How low can you fall?" Kenshin remarked offhandedly. Sanosuke glared at him but turned his attention back to Enishi in a few seconds.

"Ignore him; some people don't realize the great service I do to humanity by teaching the layman the fine art of playing Bones."

Enishi nodded uncertainly. Kenshin whispered in his ear, "it's a service that costs them dear, but he won't tell you that."

"He's not speaking to you. Stop interrupting our conversation." Sanosuke growled.

Kenshin shrugged. A soldier entered the tent with a healer close on his heels. Kenshin looked up and nodded. It was time to dress his wounds. He sat quietly on a throw rug as the healer began to remove the soiled bandages on his body. Enishi opened his eyes wide as the last bandage was taken off. Kenshin's torso was covered in cuts. He had a long slashing wound cutting across his back. It was unlike any wound he'd seen before. The flesh seemed to be burned. Someone had cut and then run a firebrand through it. Enishi shivered. There were two more cuts that required immediate attention. One cut across his stomach and another reached near his collarbone. The healer wore a grim expression.

"Your majesty, these wounds require greater attention. I suggest that you move into the palace and be treated properly." The healer spoke with firmness and determination.

Kenshin looked up at him. "Can't you treat me properly here?"

The healer looked flustered. "There are too many distractions, and I do not have all my ingredients here. I would be able to do a better job and you will heal faster in privacy."

Kenshin's eyes darkened. He looked away in disgust. "Who allowed you to accompany the army on the battlefield? You can't work your craft beyond a palace. What sense is there in bringing along a healer who loses his nerve where I need him to be most effective?"

The healer tried to explain himself. "Your majesty, you are misunderstanding me. I only insisted that you follow me to the clinic since I will be able to do a better job of dressing your wounds there."

Kenshin brushed him away. "My task is not finished yet. I still have lots of things to do. I cannot afford to lie back in the luxury of a clinic."

"But your majesty….."

"Dismissed." Kenshin stood abruptly. A guard stepped forward and ushered the flummoxed healer out of the tent. Kenshin picked up the vial of medicine prepared earlier for Sano and carefully spread it over his wounds. Aoshi approached him with some concern.

He took the vial from Kenshin and applied it to his back. Kenshin bent his head slightly in gratitude. "Are you sure it's alright for you to wander about like this? Maybe you should heed his advice and rest for a while."

"I am fine. I still have the strength to fight, which means I will be alright."

"Don't ignore your wounds. It's foolishness to do so."

"I agree. It is foolishness, but it will be greater foolishness to entrust myself in the hands of an incompetent. Sanosuke's condition makes it impossible for him to refuse aid but if I could do anything about it, I wouldn't allow that imbecile anywhere near him. Who appointed him anyway?"

"He is highly recommended. Councillor Takahashi swears by his skill." Ensihi quipped in response.

Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "Remind me to remove Councillor Takahashi from the Council when we return to Kutou. Sometimes, I wish we could dispense with the rule that forbids women on the battlefield. That way, we could bring Megumi along to every battle. We wouldn't lose half as many men as we do now."

Aoshi finished tying the last of Kenshin's bandages. Most of his chest was covered, as well as his right shoulder and left thigh. The wounds that worried him the most were the ones left by Shishio's fire sword. Kenshin shuddered. He never wanted to face that ordeal again. He had won by the merest fraction. Shishio wasn't able to keep up with his godlike speed, enabling him to gear up for his final and most powerful technique, hitting at the nine principle pressure points simultaneously in a stunning display of sword skill and speed. As he fell, Shishio had a smile on his face and a satisfied glow on his face.

"_You….are the best opponent I have ever faced."_

_Kenshin looked up bit by bit. His limbs felt numb. There was a deep gash across his back that felt as though it were on flame. Shishio had cut across his back with that freakish sword of his and his pain knew no bounds. He panted slowly, trying to retain his senses. He fought against the growing chill in his bones. He had defeated the renegade king but he wounds he'd sustained might claim him as well. The pain just kept growing. _

_Shishio lay on his back, blood splattered all over his body. Kenshin hadn't missed a single pressure point. His execution of the Nine headed Dragon Strike had been perfect. The king couldn't move, if he did, the blood vessels coursing through his heart and brain would burst simultaneously. _

_He replied slowly. It was difficult to speak. "I can say the same for you."_

_Shishio smiled. "I must thank you for this. I can die a happy man now. Tell me, what was that technique?"_

_Kenshin swallowed. His eyes swam inside his head and he collapsed head first on the marble floor. He opened his eyes to find the king staring at him in concern._

"_I'm not dead. Don't look at me like you expect me to join you."_

_The king's smile grew wider. "You're far from dying. Don't misunderstand me. I just want to know the name of the technique that killed me."_

"_It is called the Kuzu Ryusen." He whispered weakly._

"_Nine-headed Dragon Strike….a fitting name for the penultimate technique of a Kutou prince." Shishio raised his gaze to the ceiling where a pheasant carved in wood was taking flight from a silver beech tree._

"_It is the final technique of Hiten Mitsurugi. I mastered it just a week before leaving Kutou."_

"_You were waiting for a target to practice it on."_

"_Do you regret not accepting Hiko Seijurou's dictum now?"_

"_No. Konan could never live under his rule, nor can I. I don't regret anything. I have led a full life, married a beautiful woman, and fathered a daughter who is more precious to me than ten empires as large as Kutou."_

_Kenshin remained silent. He would have liked to speak more but his strength was failing him. Shishio lay motionless before him. Kenshin pushed his elbows against the floor and moved slowly towards him. Shishio tried to move his arm, but Kenshin grasped his hand and stilled his movements. _

"_You don't have long now. Be still, or your blood vessels will burst. It will not be a pleasant way to end your life. If there is anything I can do for you, please tell me."_

_Shishio turned his gaze towards his sword, which lay forgotten at his feet. Kenshin understood. He slowly shuffled towards the sword. Grasping it tightly by the hilt, he pulled it toward him. He carefully placed the hilt in Shishio's hand and closed his fingers around it. Lifting his hand, he placed it on his chest. Shishio sighed in contentment._

_Kenshin crouched near him, waiting in case the dying king had more to say in his final minutes. _

"_I do not regret this." Kenshin looked up. Shishio was staring at the ceiling. He was no longer speaking to him but someone else altogether. "This is the death I have always wished for. Do not mourn my passing Kaoru." Kenshin snapped his head up and stared at the king. Unconsciously, he shuffled closer to him and strained his ears to hear what he was saying._

_But he said no more. _

_Kenshin watched spellbound, waiting for the man to speak once more but he remained silent. Kenshin finally came to his senses as though released from a spell. He placed his fingers gently on the dead man's eyelids and pushed them down. As he collapsed from the exhaustion and the pain, he could hear Aoshi shouting out his name, searching for him._

Aoshi frowned. Enishi smirked and Sanosuke looked amused as Kenshin seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Aoshi had finished tying his bandages a while ago but Kenshin showed no signs of proceeding to the next task on the agenda. Finally, Aoshi raised his hand and rapped him sharply against the shoulder. Kenshin shuddered and stared at him, wearing a confused and befuddled expression.

"What?"

"Dragons above! I have been talking to you for the last minute. Why aren't you paying attention?" Aoshi snapped back at him. Enishi smirked.

"Maybe the heat's getting to him."

Kenshin shrugged. "What were you saying?"

"Beshimi has returned. He found some stragglers and questioned them."

Kenshin turned to him eagerly. "What did he find out?"

"Two of Shishio's close associates, Okita Souji and Soujirou Seta were last seen escaping the city on horseback. The prisoner seems to think they have a hideout in the hills north of Kansan. He has no information about the others."

"Which leaves us with the problem of finding General Saitou since Kamatari is dead." Kenshin spread another, bigger map of the country, showing the hills and forests north of Kansan. Aoshi grew silent at the mention of Kamatari; a fact that Kenshin did not miss.

"He is dead, isn't he Aoshi?" Kenshin asked. Aoshi glanced at him, and then quickly looked away.

"Yes, of course he's dead. He was injured and then he fell as the floor collapsed. He's dead. There's no way he could have survived."

Kenshin nodded slowly. "Alright then, that leaves us with only the problem of finding General Saitou." Aoshi's eyes smoked over and he slipped inside his emotionless, cold façade. Not even Kenshin could see past his mask unless he wanted him to. Kamatari had probably died, but if there was even the slightest chance that he had survived, he'd be happy.

The flap over the tent entrance was flung aside as Hannya strode in. He went directly to Aoshi and whispered his report in his ear. Aoshi turned to Kenshin.

"We've found their tracks. Okita and Soujirou are headed towards the hills and if we ride out now, we might be able to catch them in a day."

Kenshin smiled. "What are we waiting for then?" He pulled his gi over his shoulders and fastened it securely in place. Next, he reached for his armguards and fastened them carefully over his arms and hands. His swords were already secure at his belt and he placed a small kunai alongside them. He was ready.

"Aoshi will accompany me and Hannya. We will chase those two and capture them. While we are gone, Enishi will be in command. Sanosuke stays of course." He strode purposefully towards the entrance.

Enishi protested. "Wait a minute. I want to go with you."

Kenshin turned. Placing a hand on Enishi's shoulder, he replied, "Enishi, much as I'd love to have you along, we can't all leave the campsite. Besides, Sanosuke needs someone to watch over him and the men need to be given orders. I'm counting on you."

Enishi straightened his shoulders and inclined his head slightly. Kenshin smiled at him. Turning towards Aoshi, he jerked his head and they both left. Mounting their horses in one fluid motion, both swordsmen galloped out of the camp as the morning sun flooded the sky with light.

-

-

Kaoru licked her lips as she finished the last of the water she had. She had pushed herself to the limit but her efforts had paid off. The gates of the Rimling monastery could be seen clearly from her hiding place. She tied the empty water skin to her belt and stepped out from the trees. Large rocks jutted out from the cliff in a natural staircase. The steps, if they could be called that, led down to the gate of the monastery. The rocks varied in size and shape. Kaoru sat on the edge of the first and slipped down. Her feet landed comfortably on the next step. She gradually made her way down all the steps, bruising her elbows and knees a she descended. Her clothes were not meant for climbing rocks in. The fabric ripped in places and had it not been for her carriage and the proud way she held her head, nobody could have thought that she was royalty.

A large bronze bell hung at the gates. A small wooden hammer was placed beside it. The gates were enormous. They towered over Kaoru's head at ten feet. They were solid oak, studded with bronze knobs, painted in brilliant colors that depicted the legends of the dragons. Kaoru swallowed. Dragons were worshipped in Kutou. The monastery was very close to the border as well. Perhaps she had made a mistake coming here. Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back.

As she turned to go, she heard a pebble roll down the cliff. It was very faint at first but as it gained momentum, other small rocks rolled down with it. The miniscule avalanche turned round and round as it raced down the cliff till at last it banged into the bell. The bell rang. The deep sonorous tones produced echoed somewhere deep inside the monastery. Kaoru stared at the bell, horrified. Before she could decide to run away or hide, the gates began to open. Kaoru's heart sank. If this turned out to be a Kutou sanctuary, she was finished.

The gate shuddered as it slammed into the walls on either side of it. Kaoru raised her eyes heavenward and swiftly prayed for deliverance. She swallowed and then looked up to see the person who was standing at the threshold. It was a little boy, no more than ten years of age. His head was shaven and he wore a deep green robe. His feet were bare, as well as his hands but he wore a bright smile on his face.

"Hello." There was a slight lisp in his voice. Kaoru melted at the sound. She reined in her desire to scoop up the little monk in her arms and plant a kiss on his head. He was, simply put, adorable.

Kaoru smiled back at him. "Hello. Umm….I was traveling and I happened to see this gate and I was really hungry so I was wondering if perhaps I could be granted a meal here."

The monk smiled. "Of course, please come in." He took her hand and led her inside. Kaoru turned to find the gates closing of their own accord. The outside world was slipping away until it suddenly disappeared behind the gates. The monk led her towards a large building. Inside, several passages later, she was brought to a well. There was a wooden structure built next to it. There was a stove placed under it. Presumably it was the bath house. She looked on with curiosity as the monk grabbed a rough cloth towel and wooden container from a shelf and handed them to her.

"Wash up first. You will feel better. When you are finished, just call my name and I will take you to see the head monk. He will decide what to do next."

"Wait! How will I call you? I don't know your name."

"It's Haru." The monk turned and ran up a flight of stairs leading to another set of passages. Kaoru was left alone. She looked around but there was nobody else there. She pushed open the door of the bath house and stepped inside. As she reached up to unfasten her bow from the harness, she surveyed the space. There was a small pool in the centre. Steam rose steadily from it. Kaoru undressed and slipped into the water. She winced as the various bruises and cuts on her body stung as the water touched them. The hot water refreshed her and she felt her strength returning. She stood and wrapped the towel around her body. The cloth clung to her curves. She rubbed herself down hurriedly and bent to pick up her clothes.

They weren't there anymore! Kaoru stared at the empty space where she'd kept her clothes. She straightened immediately and wrapped the towel tighter around herself. Only her bow and quiver remained. Her clothes had been taken away, along with the dagger Tae had given her. Kaoru swore gently under her breath.

She opened the door of the bathhouse a fraction and peered out. Haru was sitting on the well, merrily waving his legs back and forth. She slammed the door shut, took a deep breath and then opened it again.

"Haru!" She called out. The little monk jumped off the ledge of the well and came running to the door.

"Are you finished?"

"No. Haru, I can't find my clothes." She tried hard to keep her voice steady and not betray any agitation. Haru smiled back at her.

"Yes, I picked them up while you were bathing. They were torn, and very dirty, so I washed them." He pointed to a set of bamboo clothes rods standing adjacent to the well. Her clothes were hanging upon them, washed and surprisingly mended as well. Kaoru felt a twinge of guilt for thinking bad thoughts about the monk. She blushed with embarrassment.

"That was very kind of you Haru but, now, what am I to wear?"

He disappeared for a moment. Kaoru craned her neck out as far as she dared. He was picking up a pile of clothes from a basket near the well. (Did his entire existence revolve around that well?) He rushed back, holding out deep green robes much like the one he was wearing.

"Here!" He thrust the robes into her arms. Kaoru stared at them and then at him. "When you wear them, you'll look just like one of us." Kaoru looked back at him uncertainly. He blinked. "Well what are you waiting for? Go and change!"

Kaoru mumbled something and stepped back into the confined space of the bath house. She separated the pile of clothes to reveal a set of basic underpants and a long narrow strip of cloth. This was obviously to be used to bind her breasts. There was a long robe that she held up in front of her. It was merely five yards of thick green cotton. She had no idea how to wear it. Kaoru gulped. Holding her arms straight, she quickly measured the entire garment. She tore one section away from the cloth and wrapped it tightly around her body so that it resembled a sleeveless kimono. Then, taking the remaining piece, she wrapped it over one shoulder, leaving the other bare, like Haru.

Thus clad, she stepped out of the bath house, feeling very self-conscious. Baring her shoulder felt wrong in the austere atmosphere of the monastery but there was little else she could have done. Trying to wear the robe in one piece would have been disastrous. She wasn't certain if it wouldn't just fall to her feet if she took one wrong step.

Haru beamed at her. "I know I said you'd look just like one of us but, I don't think I've ever seen a monk look so beautiful."

A rosy blush spread over Kaoru's cheeks. The innocent compliment made by the monk embarrassed and pleased her by turns.

Haru took her hand once more. "Come on. You have to meet the head monk now." He led her away into the monastery. It was very quiet in there. The faint sound of chanting could be heard coming from the rooms. Kaoru felt the tranquility and calm wash over her soul. No other place could have given her more peace than this. At the end of a long corridor, they came to a wooden door. Haru let go of her hand and pushed the door open.

Inside, seated on a plain tatami mat, sat a small wizened old man. This was Etsuko, the head monk of Rimling Monastery. His benign face was covered with wrinkles and his hands shook slightly with old age. But his eyes sparkled with the exuberance of youth and deep intelligence. Kaoru bowed respectfully.

"Haru tells me you are a traveler."

Kaoru was quiet. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth since she still didn't know if the monks were loyal to her father or not. But, lying to this man after receiving kindness and shelter at his door was not acceptable by any norm.

She bent at the waist, bowing elegantly before him. "My name is Kaoru Makoto. I was running from the enemy when your disciple kindly let me in and gave me shelter in your monastery." She remained in position.

Etsuko didn't bat an eyelid. "You could not be anyone else. You have your mother's eyes."

Kaoru looked up in surprise. "You knew my mother?"

"Yes. She often visited Rimling to pray and meditate."

"I had no idea."

"Children are often unaware of certain aspects of their parents' lives. But that is a subject for another day. What do you intend to do now?"

Kaoru straightened. "I need to find my family first, and then we must find a way to free our people from Kutou."

The head monk was silent. He looked out towards the garden. A light shower of rain had begun to fall. The rain drops fell in straight lines. The monk watched them cascade from the heavens in silence.

"This place is meant for meditation and finding peace. There can be no peace for you as long as you attach your soul so rigidly to the outside world."

"I have a duty to my people. I cannot allow them to languish under the rule of a tyrant."

"If revenge is the only thing that drives you forward, you can find no peace even within the confines of these walls. A restless person is like an impatient flood, it washes away the hard labor of others without a thought. If I let you stay here, your unrest will disrupt the serenity of this monastery. I cannot allow that."

Kaoru looked down in disappointment. "What would you have me do? I cannot give up my anger so easily."

"If you wish to stay here and make your peace with the world, you may. But if you seek to stay here only to tide over the storm while your enemies search for you, you must leave. Hatred and revenge can bring happiness to nobody. Don't throw your life away to quench your hatred. Hatred will consume you and you will be left empty at the end of your days."

"Perhaps. But I will have avenged my people. That is enough."

The monk sighed. "So young and yet, so full of sadness and pain. Very well, if that is the path you choose, the only assistance I can give you is that robe you wear and a hot meal. Then you must leave."

Kaoru bent her head, accepting the monk's decision. Etsuko shut his eyes in meditation. Haru tapped her shoulder and beckoned her to follow him. She rose without a word and followed him out of the room. They made their way down to the kitchen where she was served rice and curry. The food was delicious, and Kaoru eagerly asked for two more helpings. Seeing as it might be her last proper meal, she decided to tuck in before she had to leave. Haru gave her another green robe. This one was larger than the first. He showed her how it could be worn as a coat over the inner robe. It was stitched simply and had two pockets. Kaoru took the coat gratefully.

As they stood at the gates, Haru pulled the dagger out from within his robes.

"This belongs to you." He smiled widely, showing off all his teeth. Kaoru exclaimed with joy and tucked the dagger safely inside her robes. Haru gestured her to kneel. Kaoru complied and watched in amusement as he masterfully tied a large conical-shaped hat to her head.

"There. Now nobody can tell whether you're a girl or a boy."

Kaoru touched the hat gingerly. She glanced at the monk. "Thank you Haru. I am in your debt."

"Don't say that. Just come visit us once you're done with your travels."

"I will. I certainly will." She looked warily at the road laid out in front of her. "I better leave now. Farewell Haru."

Haru nimbly jumped upon a boulder so that he stood equal in height. Gently touching his forehead with hers, he whispered softly, "May the dragons guard you well on the road and may they give you strength."

Kaoru gasped and drew away. The words he had spoken were part of a Kutou parting prayer. She was shocked to hear those words here, and from him, of all people.

Haru looked at her and smiled. "I was born in at the imperial capital. But my parents passed away when I was very young. Some relatives left me here, but I still remember Kutou with fondness and love."

He patted her hand. "Don't worry. The dragons always protect those with love and courage in their hearts. You will not fail."

Waving one last time, he turned and disappeared inside the gates of the monastery just as suddenly as he'd appeared. Kaoru felt stricken. The kindness he had shown her had endeared him to her forever, yet the fact that he belonged to the place she hated the most in the world troubled her.

She pulled the coat closer around her frame. The harness for the bow and quiver was fastened across her chest once again. She flinched. The leather would cut into her flesh if she wasn't careful. The loose robes flowed around her body, giving her a very mysterious air. The wind had dropped. She measured her steps carefully and set down the road pointed out to her. The road traveled through the northern forests to end at the abandoned checkpoint on the Kutou border.

-

-

A group of seven horses were tethered together in a clearing a little way away from a splashing stream. The horses chucked their heads and paved their hooves. They were restless and wanted to gallop, but their masters had allowed them only a slow trot. They pawed the ground and tossed their manes back and forth. A man stood near them. He was standing guard. He swiveled rapidly as the footfall of another man was heard. He relaxed when he saw who it was.

The second man strode towards him leisurely.

"Well, when do we strike?"

"When we pass the Bandits' Lair. It must seem like an ambush. Neither of them is to be left alive."

"Understood. When we finish them, must we silence the ones at the campsite as well?

"No. Only the crown prince and the spy ringleader are to be killed. The rest are not important."

"It will be done."

"Do not fail. The master will not be pleased."

"We will not. Now go! I hear them coming back."

The messenger vanished into thin air. When Kenshin and Aoshi returned with the rest of their men in tow, all they saw was the solitary soldier looking about nervously.

"What's the matter?" Aoshi asked. The man swallowed and look at him with fearful eyes.

"We are entering the territory of the bandits. They allow no one to pass freely. Anyone who opposes them usually ends up dead."

"You should keep something other than fairy tales in your head soldier! I'm surprised at you." Aoshi admonished him.

Kenshin chuckled. "How much further Beshimi?"

The small ninja thought carefully. "We are close to them. We shall find them by nightfall. The bandits' forest is not very large. We'll stumble across anyone who isn't supposed to be there."

"So if we find him, he's not a bandit and therefore, has to be a refugee from Kansan."

"Exactly."

-

-

Kaoru wiped the sweat off her temples. She took the hat off and fanned herself with it a few times before settling it back on her head and tying the strings securely under her chin. The thick forest lay silent and heavy at her feet. She took a deep breath and bobbing her head under a branch entered the notorious bandits' forest.

"I wonder if Soujirou and Okita will be surprised to see me here." She mused to herself as she walked deeper and deeper into the forest. Little did she know that the one surprised would be her, and the surprise would be far from pleasant.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Hello everyone. Goodness, it has been ages since I updated this story. No, it's been ages since I updated anything. Honestly, I have become so lazy. I just keep the story going forward in my head and forget to write it down. This chapter actually was supposed to end in a very different way but here it is, and I confess I like this better than what it was supposed to be.

So I hope everyone likes it, and that it lives upto everyone's expectations. Flaming Amber said that my position was unenviable because the story was in such a delicate stage. Yeah I know, I'm terrified. It will be disastrous if someone says "Oh this is crap!" cringes in fear

But, hey guys, as always, criticism and appreciation are both welcome.


	12. The Forest of New Beginnings

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin is the creative work of the inimitable Watsuki Nobuhiro. He owns all the characters in this story but the events and their telling belongs solely to me. Therefore, any bouquets or brickbats (hope not) can be addressed to me.

**Rating**: T for violence, swords, knives, and adult situations in later chapters.

**Hope you like this chapter!!**

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone……

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

-

-

**Chapter ****12: The Forest of New Beginnings**

-

-

* * *

The light of the morning sun was almost entirely shut out by the trees. It was dark, but not enough to be a source of worry to the girl making her way through the dense forest. It was not the pitch black of night but the somber, austere absence of light, like a room with all curtains drawn. She took steady steps forward, stopping after a few meters to check if she was headed in the right direction. The rustle of the wind in the leaves comforted her. Here and there, Kaoru could see small spots of light where the sun had managed to squeeze through the closely-packed leaves. These drops of light fell on the ground, illuminating the earth, twigs, patches of grass and sometimes, violently hued flowers.

Kaoru stopped. She was tired. Her feet had begun to ache hours ago but she had ignored the pain, opting instead to keep moving. She reached down and gently pressed her knee, moving her fingers firmly in circles over her knee cap. The unpleasant feeling of strain became even more pronounced. She moved away towards one of the trees and sat down near its base. The ground felt cold and damp. Kaoru shuffled about, settling on perching herself on one of the giant roots of the tree that shot out of the earth. She wrapped the cloak around her body tightly, silently uttering a word of thanks to Haru. Her mouth felt dry. She swallowed. The journey had not been easy.

When she had entered the forest, she had assumed that she would run into the bandits soon enough. In fact, she had been counting upon the bandits to find her. She had walked openly in the forest, without making the slightest attempt to disguise or cover her trail only to ensure that they would notice her presence and bring her in. But, nothing of the sort happened. Perhaps the bandits had some sort of code that stopped them from apprehending monks? It worried her.

In normal circumstances, any traveler would thank his lucky stars for making it thus far into the forest without alerting the bandits who ruled it. But there was nothing normal about the situation she was in and the absence of any response from the bandits only served to increase her consternation. If they hadn't noticed her prowling around their forest, then could it be…..that they had all left? She chewed her lip thoughtfully. This could mean the end of all her hopes to find Okita and Soujirou. But, how could that be?

Kaoru remembered a conversation with Kamatari in the final days of peace before the war had begun. He had explained how the bandits in the forest would be willing to help them if they asked.

Kaoru had been shocked.

"_I don't understand. How can a group of bandits and outlaws be of any use to us? They are a nuisance, a menace." She tossed her shoulders in contempt._

_Kamatari sat across the table. There was an ornate map of Konan and Kutou spread before him and a porcelain bottle of sake at his side. He placed a silver pheasant over the wooded area of the forest, beautifully depicted on the map with dark green brushstrokes. _

_He poured himself a small cupful and glanced at her. A smile played upon his lips. "Bandits don't materialize from thin air Kaoru. They are created, by specific social and political realities. There is a reason why those men became bandits and it is that reason which will open the doors of their forest to us."_

"_How? I mean, don't the bandits hate us? We've closed down their supply routes and there are more guards than ever on the trade roads so they haven't been able to plunder the merchant caravans. Da and you personally have been responsible for this. Why on earth would they want to help us?"_

"_Because minxlette, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."_

_Kaoru watched him curiously. "That means that the bandits are against Kutou as well."_

_Kamatari smiled broadly. "And that is why they will help us when the time comes."_

_Kaoru leaned forward. "Something tells me that there's a story behind all of this."_

_He nodded. "There is."_

"_So tell me."_

"_The whole story?" Kamatari arched his eyebrow elegantly._

"_Yes."_

"_Do you really want to hear it?"_

"_Yes!!" Kaoru replied eagerly._

_Kamatari pretended to sigh in exasperation. "You know, sometimes I think talking to you is more trouble than its worth."_

_Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him. "I could say the same for you Taro. You're despicable."_

"_Alright then, now that we've both said what we truly think about each other, I think we can move on." He took a deep breath. _

"_About twenty years ago, when your grandfather was alive, the forest belonged to the kingdom of Ryuko. Ryuko was ruled by King Hagurashi. He was a proud and domineering man who took great pride in the strength of his army. He had never experienced a defeat on the battlefield. His arrogance was dangerous since it roused the interest of Hiko Seijurou XIII, who had just ascended the throne of Kutou. The emperor of Kutou expressed his interest in establishing greater trading relations with Ryuko however, the king, in his foolishness, sent back a highhanded reply, rejecting outright any agreement with the Kutou empire."_

"_What was so wrong about that? He didn't want to trade with Kutou."_

"_There was nothing wrong with what he wanted but everything wrong with the manner in which he made his refusal apparent. No matter what your personal opinion Kaoru, when you have the responsibility of a kingdom on your shoulders, it is your duty to look for a way to avoid hostility. Diplomacy is taught for a reason. So that kings and princes don't wage wars for nothing."_

_Kaoru looked him in the eye. "In that case, Da was wrong to refuse Hiko Seijurou as well."_

"_No." Kamatari replied firmly. "There is a great difference. Your father refused to let Konan become a protectorate of the Kutou empire. Hagurashi refused what could have been a lucrative trade agreement with an intent to humiliate the emperor. Your father decided to fight for the dignity of his people, Hagurashi wanted to fight because he thought he could get away with it."_

_Kaoru sat still. Kamatari took a miniscule sip from his sake cup and continued. _

"_It was just what the emperor wanted; an excuse to attack. Hiko Seijurou declared the act as hostile and seized the opportunity to invade Ryuko. He made short work of Ryuko's famed army and forced the king and his men to retreat to a stronghold in the forest. The ignominious defeat at the hands of the Kutou emperor shattered the king. He lost his will to fight and sought to secure an agreement from Hiko Seijurou. An agreement that would allow him to retain an allowance from the treasury, a ceremonial regiment of soldiers and a summer palace where he would spend the remainder of his days, in quiet solitude."_

"_He's a traitor! He betrayed his country and his people!"_

"_Would you mind not interrupting? The story is not finished yet."_

_Kaoru sat back and mumbled an embarrassed apology. _

_Kamatari cocked his head to a side. "That's better. Hiko Seijurou acceded his request. Hagurashi thought he had tided over the storm but he couldn't be further from the truth."_

"_His men, the warriors he was so proud of were disgusted by his cowardly acceptance of an allowance from the emperor in exchange for his kingdom. They mutinied against him. The king was murdered by his own bodyguards. They fled to the forest and from that day forward, they have been known as bandits. They fight Kutou in any way they can, by attacking merchants, travelers, even soldiers."_

_Kaoru looked down at the map. "I never could have guessed."_

_Kamatari smirked. "That's what happens when you don't pay attention at history lessons."_

_Kaoru scowled. "I was never told any of this during my history lessons."_

Kaoru wiped the sweat off her brow and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. According to Katsu, Okita and Soujirou had both been together in the eastern quarter of Kansan. The forest was the only place they could have taken refuge. If they entered the forest, they would meet the bandits. That was the only course they could adopt.

So how long would it take for her to find them?

-

-

Kenshin placed his hand flat on the ground. Apart from the soft thumping of the hooves of the few horses they'd brought along, there was no trace of anyone else in the area where they stood. He idly traced a pattern in the dirt. Aoshi stood at the opposite end of the clearing, peering into the forest intently. Beshimi was lying on the ground, with his ear pressed tightly against the earth.

Kenshin stood. He walked over to Aoshi. "We are missing a trail Aoshi."

Aoshi continued to stare at the trees. "Yes, I realized."

-

-

A stately convoy of carriages made its way slowly along the crowded streets of Kutou's imperial city. At the head of the column, a town crier cried "make way!" and beat a drum at regular intervals. The crowd dispersed, edging away from the convoy. Soldiers patrolling the streets stood at attention and pushed people off the road to make way. They watched the new arrivals with a sense of unease and grudging admiration. Tall men were mounted upon exquisitely groomed stallions. In their hands, they held crimson banners with a golden dragon painted in the centre, the sign of the royal family of Kutou. All the horsemen and attendants bore an elaborate coat-of-arms on their clothes. The coat-of-arms showed a dragon intertwined with a sword.

It was the Amakusa seal, the seal belonging to the house of Hiko Seijurou's elder brother, a man whose destiny to rule Kutou had been shattered by the excellence displayed by Hiko Seijurou in every aspect of prince hood.

The appearance of an Amakusa in the imperial city was rare. Angered by his father's decision to make the younger son the heir to the throne, Keigo Amakusa had left the imperial palace and the city behind. He vowed to raise a rebellion in the desert and destroy the empire that would not accept him as king.

The convoy slowly made its way towards the imperial palace. The giant red gates opened and the convoy disappeared behind them. The crowds filled the streets once more and the convoy was forgotten by all, except for a young girl who stood as still as a statue, watching the red gates of the palace. She turned and began to walk briskly through the streets till she reached the Aoiya.

The girl stepped inside delicately and quietly slipped behind a silken screen that hid the rest of the building from the restaurant. She ran lightly through a number of corridors till she arrived at the dojo where the Okashira was judging a kendo match.

She knelt close to the old man and whispered in his ear. Okina glanced at her. He stood and beckoned her to follow.

Outside the dojo, he turned to her and asked, "Are you sure it was him?"

Omasu nodded. "I'm certain. They had the Amakusa seal on their clothes. It could not be anyone else."

Okina looked grave. "I see. So Shogou has really decided to return. This is going to cause trouble for Kenshin."

Omasu stood silently beside her leader. Okina was often likened to an wily fox. He was shrewd and incomparably quick at assessing situations to make the best move possible.

"Omasu, I want you to take a message to Okon. Tell her to be careful and watch Shogou closely, especially when he is with the emperor. I also want to know who he goes to visit first after he has met with the emperor."

Omasu nodded and rushed away. Okina looked at the calendar. Kenshin had been gone for a fortnight. Konan was won but Shogou had arrived. But why? Why had he come? Was he going to try and stake his claim to the throne once more? But he couldn't do that. Kenshin had worked too hard for it. The emperor would never allow it. Never.

-

-

The carriage stopped at the foot of the one hundred step staircase that led into the palace. A man stepped out. He was tall, slender and very handsome. His features bespoke gracefulness and a nobility he did not possess. His eyes were hard and unforgiving. The pitch black hue of his eyes silenced even the most ebullient of persons. He held his head high and proud. Placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, he strode up the stairs with a sense of purpose.

In a few minutes, he reached the top of the staircase and marched forward, across the huge central courtyard where thousands of armed warriors exercised their skill and performed their katas to perfection. It was in this courtyard that Kenshin had been declared Heir Apparent for all the world to acknowledge and it was in this courtyard that a spectacular ceremony would be held to welcome him back from Konan, victorious and undefeated.

Shogou Amakusa stared at the cold grey marble spread before his feet and began to walk straight towards the throne room. The wind tossed his jet black hair incessantly but he ignored it. He stopped as he reached the doors of the throne room. The guards posted at the door sprang into a salute. They knocked on the door three times. The door shuddered and then slowly began to open.

Shogou stepped inside. The doors closed behind him. The room was empty save for the emperor's council of ministers and the emperor himself, seated at the Crystal throne at the end of the gigantic hall. True to its name, the throne was made of the finest crystal, the thousands of cuts were designed to throw millions of rainbow-colored streaks of light out from the throne. To a person standing in the court, the throne seemed to be made of light, and the person seated on it, a god.

Shogou smirked as his gaze rested upon his uncle and his courtiers. A couple of them seemed pleased to see him, a few seemed shocked but most of them looked at him as though disapproving his appearance. His uncle, the emperor cultivated no expression on his features.

Shogou bent at the waist and bowed his head slightly. As he straightened, he noticed the frown on Katsura's face became more pronounced as he had neglected to make a proper bow to the Lightning Emperor. Protocol demanded that he kneel on his knee, draw his sword and hold it out in front of him, in both hands, as though offering it to the emperor. The principle behind this was simple. The sword was the soul of a warrior. The true test of fealty is to offer your soul to your ruler.

"Greetings uncle. You seem well." He said sardonically.

Hiko did not answer. He glanced at his councillors and waved them away. They bowed themselves out of the room, one by one. Shogou watched them retreat with amusement.

"So do you. I am surprised at you. You sent no word of coming. Had you seen fit to inform me of your arrival, you would have been received with an escort befitting your position."

Shogou laughed mirthlessly. "Come now, my lord. I have journeyed across hundreds of leagues to reach the capital. Your eyes are scattered everywhere, watching every inch of the empire and yet you claim that my presence surprises you."

"I cannot guess the reason for your visit."

"Can a kinsman not come to visit you out of love and curiosity?"

It was Hiko's turn to smile now. "Curiosity, yes. Love? No."

Shogou frowned. "You do me a great injustice, my lord."

"You do me a graver injustice by pretending to visit me out of concern and love even though the only emotion you could rustle up for me is hatred and vindictiveness. Do not take me for a fool Shogou! You won't be happy until I am safely laid to rest in my grave." The anger and impatience in Hiko's voice simmered as though the control with which he held himself would break at any moment.

Shogou's eyes turned to stone and his voice became poison. "Very well. I was willing to give this relation at least a semblance of civility but since you won't have any, I don't see why I should be fettered by it."

"There was no civility between us to begin with, you made sure of that years ago. Why are you here?" Hiko asked curtly.

"It should be obvious. I have come so that I can be sure that this time, I won't be cheated out of my share of the spoils."

"Your share? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Konan, uncle. I am talking about Konan." Shogou smirked.

"What makes you think that you have any share in Konan? You did not shed one drop of blood nor raise a finger to win it. You have Shimabara. It is enough for you."

"Enough? Is it enough? Will you decide what is enough for me? My name should be blazoned on every street, every city square and every home in every inch of this empire! And you would have me content with Shimabara? How you abuse my right, my name! And yet you sit there, on that throne and mouth platitudes to me!" Shogou raised his voice angrily.

"Your rambling is like the howling of a mad dog. I have nothing else to say to you. Leave." Hiko replied dismissively, turning away from the excited young man who stood before him but Shogou was in no mood to relent. He persisted.

"I will not. I will stay until I am given my due. I am the rightful heir to the throne of Kutou yet I do not challenge your precious deshi for the right. All I ask is to be given a share that is befitting my honour but you deny me even this!"

"You have been given more than you deserve. Now get out of my sight before I have you thrown out."

Shogou sneered. "Those are harsh words to say to someone who may be the only keeper of your secrets. Don't forget uncle. Not everyone believes that cock-and-bull story of Kenshin's rescue. Not everyone knows that he is not your nephew but what if they did? I doubt that even your gutless Council would agree to have a bastard on the throne, even though he is ……"

Shogou did not have the chance to finish his sentence. Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Hiko had leapt down from the throne and rushed forward, drawing his sword with a speed that dazzled. Hiko pushed the blade against Shogou's throat.

"That is a very dangerous line of thinking Shogou. If you were not my brother's son, your death would be slow and painful as only I can make it."

Shogou stared dumbfounded at the cold steel pushing against his skin. He felt a sliver of pain cut across his skin. Hiko backed away, wiping the blade on his cloak.

Shogou gingerly touched his neck and stiffened as he felt a thin line of blood running across. He swore and clamped his fingers against the wound.

"This is not over. I have not waited this long only to be thwarted. You've made a very big mistake. You should be on your guard from now on. The throne belongs to me, not Kenshin. I will not rest until I have destroyed him." Shogou turned and walked away. Hiko stared after him.

The silken screen that stood behind the throne trembled. A hand with delicate fingers gently pushed the screen back in place. Okon tiptoed away from the screen and walked away. She had a message to deliver to Okina. There was no time to be lost.

-

-

Shogou rushed out of the throne room, clutching his throat. His attendants hurried towards him and tried to take him towards his chambers but he struggled against them.

"No! Take me to Kanryuu's office." Nodding in assent, they placed a sedan chair in front of him and nimbly ran towards the councilor's office.

Takeda Kanryuu was the youngest member on the emperor's council. A former merchant, he belonged to a noble family and had radical ideas regarding trade and expanding the empire. His wild nature and indiscretions with women had made him the black sheep of the council yet his power was such that few people dared to cross his path. He was also one of the few people Shogou Amakusa counted as a friend.

Kanryuu was settled comfortably in his office. A pile of papers pending his authorization lying on the table and drawings and plans of new artillery equipment lay haphazardly on every surface available. Kanryuu was a weapons enthusiast. Takasugi had recently changed all the cannons in the artillery on his recommendation.

The attendants rushed Shogou in, chair and all. Kanryuu protested. "What in the name of the sixty whores of Darien are you doing? This is my office you imbeciles, not the street!"

"Kanryuu, it's me." Shogou spoke softly, stepping off the chair. Kanryuu stared at him. He sat down quietly, and did not speak a single word while Shogou's men attended to his wound. The men left unobtrusively.

Takeda Kanryuu sat back. "By the heavens, it is you. I would not have believed it in a million years. What are you doing back here Shogou?"

Shogou did not reply immediately. He stood before the mirror and carefully wrapped a bandage around the cut on his neck. He tossed his hair over his shoulder and sat down cross-legged beside his friend.

"Last time when I had come to Court, you asked me a question. Do you remember?"

Kanryuu scrunched his face up, as though trying to recollect. He opened his eyes suddenly and asked, "I asked you if you were going to let matters stay as they were when the emperor decided to make Kenshin his heir."

Shogou nodded. "That's right. I remember telling you that the right time had not yet come for me to oppose the emperor and the council because they may not listen to what I have to say."

"And now? Do you think they will listen to you now?"

"Yes. There were things I was unaware of then, things that I only guessed at but know for certain now. If they were to be revealed to the court, Kenshin would be devastated and the emperor would have no choice but to name me as his successor. In fact, even if he decided not to leave me the throne, the council would revolt."

Kanryuu leaned forward with interest. "What have you found out Shogou?"

Shogou smiled cunningly. "There's no hurry. You'll find out in time. There are matters that require my attention here. I've decided Kanryuu. I'm going to challenge Kenshin's claim to the throne."

Kanryuu snorted. "You can't. Not anymore. You may have tried to challenge him and succeeded a year ago perhaps but now, it's just too late. He's won Konan. The people already accept him as the new emperor. They know him and love him whereas you…they don't even recognize you."

"Do you think I care about what some peasant on the street thinks? All I need is the council. If the council support me, then the people will accept me in due course. They really have no choice."

Kanryuu looked at him gravely. "If for some reason Kenshin does not ascend the throne, Aoshi will take his place."

Shogou smiled. It was the most terrifying expression Kanryuu had ever seen. "And if neither of them is fit to do so?"

"Then I guess you would be next in line." He replied slowly. "But, a situation where neither Kenshin nor Aoshi can take the throne is simply impossible."

"Is it?"

"I don't see how it could happen, unless…..."

"Yes?"

"Unless they were both dead."

Shogou's lips lifted to form a dazzling smile. "Accidents do happen in war, Kanryuu. Especially when you're trying to track down your enemies in a forest from which no one returns."

He laughed. The sound of his laughter echoed in the corridors. The guards who heard it flinched as a chill ran down their spines. Something terrible was going to happen.

-

-

"We've been wandering around the same place for hours. Beshimi! Do you have any idea where you're going?" Kenshin called out in irritation.

The trail had been lost and now they were simply walking about aimlessly. Sometimes they would stop and inspect the ground but it was of no use. They hadn't found anything so far and he suspected that they weren't going to either.

However, he had the strangest feeling of being watched. He turned around. Apart from himself and Aoshi, there were five soldiers and Beshimi. Even though they had found no visible tracks or obvious marks that Okita and his comrade general had been here, the unmistakable feeling of being watched only proved that they were close to them.

But even as he tried to convince himself of this idea, Kenshin knew that something was wrong. He looked at Aoshi. Aoshi hadn't uttered a word since they left camp early this morning. He kept staring at the trees. He must have felt it too. Something wasn't right. But what was it?

Were they walking into a trap? There was no way of knowing. They would just have to wait and see. Kenshin gripped the hilt of his katana. His heart pounded in his chest. Something very unexpected was going to happen, he could feel it.

-

-

Kaoru fished her dagger out from under her robes. She checked the blade. It was very sharp. As she slid her finger across it, a thin sliver of blood cut across her skin. She wiped the blood off and gripped the handle of the dagger tightly. A long slender branch of a tree was lying on the ground. She picked it up and inspected it thoroughly. It was beech wood, strong, slender and supple. It was perfect to make a kind of walking staff. Kaoru quickly stripped it of leaves and small twigs. Using the dagger, she cut away the bark.

Kaoru lifted the staff into the air. The weight was right. If she needed, she could even use it as a weapon; although she would probably end up looking like a rogue monk what with her bow and arrows, her dagger and now this staff. She sheathed the dagger and stuck it into the folds of breast binding at her back. Gripping the staff firmly in hand, she marched forward, eager to find the bandits or be found by them. She wasn't worried. The fact that she had made it thus far without any trace of trouble gave her new confidence and she believed that fortune had turned in her favour. Now nothing could go wrong.

Except that it did. Something went grievously wrong. When she stopped to pick up that beech staff, she had been heading north, like she was supposed to. North was where the bandits' lair was. And now, she had turned west without intending to. Kaoru walked further and further away from the only chance she had of meeting Okita and Soujirou. Unaware of her folly, she ran towards the western border of the forest where the crown prince of Kutou was enmeshed in troubles of his own.

-

-

There it was again! It was unmistakable. The air of the forest was filled with murderous intent. Kenshin could smell it in every particle of air. What had been veiled and suggested just a short while ago was now apparent even to Beshimi, who was without doubt, the worst reader of ki in the Oniwabanshu. Kenshin glanced at Aoshi. Their eyes met. It was as he had thought. Aoshi understood.

The impasse was broken by Beshimi who suddenly came hurtling towards Kenshin. Kenshin opened his eyes wide, watching the tiny Oniwabanshu ninja. Beshimi leapt into the air and pulled his poison dart pipe to his lips. He blew a full-lunged blast into the pipe, then somersaulted and landed beside Kenshin. Kenshin heard a thud behind him. He turned to see one of the soldiers lying on the ground, writhing with pain as the poison took hold of his body.

"It's a trap, your majesty! They're all traitors!" Beshimi roared. Aoshi sprang into action, shaking his twin kodachi out of their sheath and launched toward the soldier closest to him. Kenshin swore and drew his sword as well. Beshimi dived towards the last man in the group and soon a full-bodied battle was underway.

Kenshin hissed. These were no ordinary soldiers. They fought with the elan and precision of trained assassins. Each one was of the same class of warrior as the commanders of Konan they had been searching. Kenshin forgot himself in the tune of the fight. All he saw was the glint of his sword as it raced it ward off attacks by the two assassins who moved together in tandem. He felt a searing pain in his shoulder and realized a second too late that his injuries from his fight with Shishio were being mercilessly exploited. He rammed the flat of his katana against one and ducked to stab the other with his wakizashi.

As he bent he felt a new cut across his knee and he buckled as his weak knee gave way. He held up his katana and braced it with his armguard to keep his head from getting chopped off. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the battle going badly for Aoshi. One of his kodachi was lying at the feet of the assassin and the other hung limply from his hand. He looked closely. Aoshi's wrist seemed to be fractured. Kenshin shuddered with rage. He felt his hair tie snap as fury coursed through his veins and raw heat exploded in his head. He roared in anger. His attackers looked at him in shock. They leapt back as he rammed his katana up in their faces. Amber eyes sneered at them in contempt as he slowly rose to his feet and slid into position.

"Now, where were we?"

-

-

Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks as a yell of rage echoed through the forest. Fear rippled through her body. She ran towards the source of the noise. As she drew closer to the place, her anxiety increased as the sound of blades crashing violently against each other reached her ears. She tore through the thicket of trees and climbers, praying desperately that the fight she could hear did not involve her friends. She broke out of the thicket and quickened her pace.

She could see rapid movements between the trees. A flash of colour here, the glint of a sword there. The beat of her heart drummed inside her skull until she finally reached the fatal spot where the fight was slowly coming to a close.

Kaoru ducked behind a huge oak tree covered with climbers. She peeked out from behind the tree. Her eyes grew wide and she exhaled in relief. The two men being attacked were not Okita and Soujirou. Her head dropped back against the trunk of the tree in thankfulness. She raised her eyes to the heavens and uttered a quick prayer in gratitude.

She looked out once more. There were five men in the clearing. Six, if she counted the dead body flung to a side. Four of them seemed to be comrades, they were squared off against the remaining two. One of whom had collapsed on the ground, his wrist hanging at an odd angle.

Kaoru winced. He had probably ruptured a ligament. The other man stood straight before the attackers. His katana was dripping with blood. His gi was cut wide open at the back. She could spy a streak of blood flowing freely from his wound. He wore a cone-shaped hat on his head just like her and from his posture she could tell that he had exhausted most of his energy but was still standing. He crossed the short distance between himself and the man whose wrist was broken. He stood in front of him protectively and slid into an aggressive stand.

"I must warn you. I reserve no mercy for traitors and backstabbers."

One of the four men facing him off sneered. "You can talk. Since these are your final words, you had better make them good."

Another spoke up. "Yes, we would not want to disappoint your uncle by telling him you begged for mercy before you died."

The man bristled. Kaoru felt the force of his ki even as she sat quietly and watched. "Be quiet." he said softly. Every word seemed deathly, like the calculated measure dropped into a vial of poison.

Kaoru sat up. She shook her head, protesting against the situation. Four men fighting against one. How disgraceful! She started to rise but checked herself. What could she possibly do. At this distance, all she could use was…..Kaoru gasped! Her bow and arrows. She still had them. She could at least give the man a fighting chance. Those men would kill him without mercy. She had to do something!

Kaoru quickly slipped her bow off her shoulder and nocked an arrow in place. She crouched on the ground and slowly slid forward on her knees. As she came closer, she glanced at the men once more. She frowned. The colours they wore…..they had dragons blazoned on their front shields. She gripped her bow even tighter. They were Kutou soldiers. She hissed.

That meant, this man and his friend were probably part of the Konan army; maybe they had stayed behind to let their comrades escape. Her heart leapt at the possibility. They could possibly even be part of Okita or Seijurou's squad. Now she simply had to save them. Earlier, she was acting just on the principles of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, upholding the honorable code of war. But now, now that she knew that they were men from Konan, her responsibility increased. They were her people.

Kaoru slithered even closer. The four attacked, charging forward in a wave, surrounding the man from all sides. Kaoru watched in amazement as he tackled first one, then two with ease, swinging his sword as though it were an extension of his arm. She couldn't even see the blade of his katana as he whipped through the assassins. He flipped and turned and rammed the blade straight into the skull of the third man. Kaoru jolted back into action as she saw a sixth man stealthily approaching from behind him. He raised his katana. The man in the hat tuned slowly, his eyes grew wide as he realized he didn't have enough time to pull his sword out of his victim's head to block the attack.

Kaoru cried and released the arrow. Both the men turned to look at her. The arrow pierced his forehead and slid through to embed itself in the assassin's skull. The man dropped to the ground, dead as a stone.

His eyes rolled up in his head.

Kaoru stood still. She didn't dare move a muscle. For the second time in these recent tumultuous days, she was scared, truly scared and she didn't know what to do. That was her arrow sticking out of his head. It was her hand that shot him. His blood was on her hands. She had killed a man. Even though it was to save another's life, she had taken his life-breath away from him. She sank to the ground. Her knees hit the dirt. The force of impact shook her to the core. The bow dropped from her hands.

She tried to speak but the words froze on her lips. Her fingers shook and she felt cold. Numbingly cold.

"I killed him." She whispered almost inaudibly.

"I killed him."

-

-

Kenshin tore a strip of cloth from his gi and wiped his katana clean. Sheathing it smoothly, he went to Aoshi and gripped his shoulder.

"Aoshi, are you going to be alright?" He demanded. Aoshi nodded then stared at the monk who had burst into the fight at the last minute and saved Kenshin's life. He seemed to be in shock. Aoshi jerked his head towards him and raised his eyebrow. Kenshin did not answer.

He walked over to him and knelt down beside him. The man….or rather the monk, as his clothes proclaimed him, was stunned. Kenshin gingerly shook his shoulder.

"Monk…Monk…are you alright?" he asked softly. The gruffness of his voice disappeared with his rage. He was composed now and his eyes were deep pools of indigo.

"I killed him…..oh gods …..I killed him." The monk kept saying. Kenshin understood. The boy was a monk. He had probably taken vows of purity and above all, non-violence. He had broken the most sacred of vows by deciding to help him. Kenshin felt something break inside him as tears of pity welled up in his eyes. He knew what price the monk was paying. The guilt of taking a life would wrack him. It was something he'd never be able to understand but he knew what a huge thing it had been for him.

The monk held his hands to his head and softly, began to cry. Kenshin bent his head.

"I am so very sorry Monk. If only I had turned in time, you would not have had to soil your hands with blood. The fault is all mine. Forgive me."

The monk did not answer. He just held his head and sobbed inconsolably. Kenshin sat awkwardly beside him, not knowing what to say. He glanced at Aoshi, who beckoned him. Kenshin patted the monk's shoulder reassuringly and strode towards his cousin.

Aoshi stood up, with some difficulty. He glanced at Beshimi who at once turned and set out to look for the horses.

"Kenshin."

"Hmmm."

"We have to get back to camp. We cannot linger here. There may be more of them."

Kenshin nodded. "Yes, you're right."

Aoshi cleared his throat. "And I suggest, we take him" he pointed at the monk, "back to camp with us."

Kenshin agreed. "That's what I was thinking. Poor boy, doesn't seem much older than seventeen. After what he's been through, I don't think we can leave him on his own."

Beshimi returned with the horses. Kenshin immediately set about at adjusting the saddle straps and stirrups for the monk. Aoshi meanwhile watched the monk carefully. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Kenshin helped the monk up and walked him to the horse. Despite the fact that he was severely shaken by the events that had just occurred, the monk mounted with a single fluid motion.

Unconsciously, Aoshi's hand crept to his sword. He checked himself quickly. There was something very strange about this monk. How had he managed to be in the right place at the right time? And how was it, that despite renouncing the world and all its treasures, he sat upon a war stallion as though he were born to do so?

Kenshin called out. "Aoshi, let's go. What are you waiting for?"

"Coming." he replied. Aoshi held the reins in his good hand and swung his body into saddle. Beshimi mounted behind him and the trio swept out of the clearing at a brisk trot.

-

-

Kaoru sniffled. She dried her tears and wiped her nose discreetly on her sleeve. She berated herself for giving in to emotion like this. It was so shameful. What would Okita think of her when his men told him that she'd broken down after rescuing them. It was mortifying. She glanced at the man riding in front of her, the one she had saved. They seemed like gentlemen. She could be sure that they wouldn't disclose her few moments of weakness to Okita. She exhaled. The tall, silent man behind her announced that they would be entering camp soon. Kaoru smiled. She couldn't wait to be reunited with Okita. She craned her neck and peered out front. She saw many white tents pitched into the ground. Her struggles were over. She was finally home.

Kaoru looked at the man riding in front of her and almost jumped in surprise as she realized the man was talking to her.

"I can't thank you enough. I had never thought a day would ever come in my life where I would be in the debt of a monk for saving my life, but I am humbled by your gracious act. Thank you." He turned to look at her.

She raised her head. The rim of her hat shielded her eyes from his but she could see him without hindrance. As he spoke, he tugged at the strings of his hate and pulled it off his head. She blinked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that the flags fluttering at the apex of each tent were crimson……with golden dragons painted in the centre. The uniforms of the soldiers saluting them right and left were crimson…..as crimson as the hair of the man riding before her.

Her heart stopped for a second and her mouth fell open as she recognized the amethyst eyes that had haunted her dreams since the day she'd seen them in the city square. He held his hand out to her to assist her off her horse. When she didn't respond, he merely took her hand and pulled her off. She felt his arms steady her as he set her on the ground. She looked up and saw what she had been foolish enough not to notice that day.

His shoulders were straight like a ramrod, he held his head high and when the soldiers around him addressed him as "your majesty", he waved them aside without a glance. She was ushered into the largest tent pitched in the ground. The opulence and sheer number of people present who gasped, scurried about and fussed over him told her she had saved the life of the one man she would have given anything to stop.

"Lord monk, you saved the hope and future of our great empire. When the Lightning emperor hears that you saved the life of his heir and nephew, he will place his own life before you, in gratitude."

Kaoru cringed.

The prince of Kutou turned and frowned. "Leave him alone! He's exhausted. And I would like some solitude as well."

The courtier immediately stepped away from her. He bent his head before his liege. "Doubtless your majesty. I shall make arrangements for the monk to sleep for the night."

Kenshin took his blood-soaked gi off and tossed it away. "There's no need to do that. He'll stay here, with me."

The courtier seemed ruffled. He tried once more. "But my liege, you don't need to inconvenience yourself."

Kenshin stared at him with hard eyes. "I know I don't need to inconvenience myself yet I tolerate your presence. Now, get out and leave us alone."

The courtier bowed and scraped. "As you wish, my liege."

"I don't wish to be disturbed till we march."

"As you wish, my liege."

Kaoru held her breath. She couldn't conceive how and why everything had become so muddled. She couldn't even begin to make sense out of the chaos. She had willingly…against her principles, against every teaching of her school, decided to kill a man…..only to save the devil himself. Her biggest enemy was seated before her, smiling at her, thanking her for saving his life! If the earth could open up and swallow her whole, it would still not be enough to atone for what she had done.

Kenshin settled upon a stool, while the healer cleaned his wounds. He looked at the monk who seemed to be fascinated with the carpet.

"It comes from the west." he ventured.

The monk was startled. He whipped his head up. The hat hid his eyes but Kenshin presumed that he was looking at him.

"What did you say?" The monk spoke tentatively almost as though he was tasting his words on his tongue. He had an unusually high voice but it had probably not cracked yet. He hadn't been wrong in assuming that the monk was little more than a boy.

"You were admiring the carpet. It comes from the west. Persia."

The monk nodded. "It is beautiful."

"Would you like one?"

"Eh?"

"A carpet….a Persian carpet, would you like one?"

The monk was silent. "I am a monk. What would I do with it?" The healer froze in his movements, terrified. Nobody had ever refused the prince anything, especially when he was granting them a favour, which was about as rare as finding a needle in a haystack.

Kenshin blinked and laughed. "Of course, what would you do with it? You must excuse me. I'm feeling the weight of your deed and I want to do something for you."

Kaoru looked up and immediately averted her eyes. The prince was half naked. He sat bare-chested. She felt the invariable blush invade her face. The gesture was not lost on the prince. He laughed teasingly.

"Does the sight of my chest offend you, lord monk?"

Kaoru shook her head vigorously. "No, why should it?"

Kenshin smiled. "I thought I should ask. One can never tell with holy men."

"I am not a holy man. I am merely an apprentice."

"I see. Who is your master?"

Kaoru was silent for a while. Then decided to answer truthfully. It wasn't as though he'd know. "Koshijiro Kamiya."

The prince looked grave. He nodded slowly. "I see. I think I understand why you broke down earlier. It could not have been easy for you, as a monk and also as a student of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. I am deeply ashamed of myself for putting you in that position." He bent his head in apology.

Kaoru stared dumbfounded. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh. I am a swordsman. It is my duty to know about every style of swordsmanship that exists. How else am I to better myself?"

"Better yourself? For what purpose…finding a more effective way to kill people cannot be called bettering yourself." The healer froze once again and looked at her fearfully.

Kenshin felt a tickle his arm. He looked up and found his healer staring at the monk trembling, the ends of the bandage in his hands was tickling him. He jerked the bandage out of his hand and sent him away.

He tied the bandage onto his chest as best as he could and turned to the monk. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't say anything. He ran his hand through his hair, fidgeting.

Kaoru noticed his restlessness.

Finally he smiled weakly and spoke "I feared we would come to this. You are a man of prayer and I am one of agitation. You see good and evil in the world as abstract entities but I see them as real problems. I use my sword to end conflicts, wars that would be long drawn out are finished within days by my skill. Good and evil, right or wrong for swordsmen resides in the blade of their swords. The strength of their conviction becomes victory. When you look outside this tent, you would see the destruction of a kingdom, but I see the promise of a better tomorrow, for those I have vanquished and for those rely on me to give them victory."

Kaoru felt a salty drop land on her lips. His words echoed the words of her father when he spoke of war and killing. A knife twisted in her heart as she recognized the same fervor in his voice. She was her father's daughter yet it was this man, a man who had destroyed everything he lived for was the one who spoke the language of her father. And possibly who understood him in a way she never could because she was not created from the same mould of swordsmanship.

"Your words are clever and I sense you believe them to be true yet they do not heal the pain I see outside. I cannot accept your truth or your explanations." she hesitated. "I can only pray that you see the error of your ways." The last thing she needed was for him to suspect that she was anything but what he thought her to be - a young monk who'd been traumatized by witnessing battle.

The prince rose from his seat and walked over to her. He held out a soft square of cloth in his hand. There was a smile in his voice.

"I must beg your forgiveness once more. I forgot how one speaks before a monk. I'm just swordsman, nothing more, nothing less."

Kaoru took the cloth and wiped her tears. He was right. Swordsmen were men who agitated. Though she donned the garb of a monk, she could not deny who she was at her core. She had killed once to protect a man she had thought was one of her own, perhaps now she could kill him knowing he was an enemy.

A guard appeared at the entrance of the tent. He lifted the flap and stepped in. "Your majesty, Lord Yukishiro sends word that we are ready to march."

"And Captain Sagara?"

"Lord Yukishiro has sent him back ahead of our convoy."

"Has he?"

The tent flap fluttered once more. Kaoru tilted her head slightly so she could see who had entered without moving her head. A young man with brilliant white hair had just walked in. He wore a black hakama and gi with satin lapels. His sword hilt was encrusted with gems and he wore a blue diamond stud in his left ear. He glanced at her curiously.

Kenshin was slipping on a haori over his gi. "Enishi, how is Sano doing?"

Kaoru watched in rapt attention as the man tore his eyes away from her and walked towards the prince. "I thought it'd be better if he reached before us. His wounds were looking bad. He must already be at Genzai's by now."

Kenshin looked at him appraisingly. "That was a good decision."

Enishi glanced at Kaoru once more. He jerked his thumb towards her and asked, "Kenshin, who is this?"

"Oh, he's the monk who saved my life." he replied nonchalantly.

"What!" Enishi sputtered. The look on his face sent Kenshin laughing.

"Did you really train with Okina? Your face is like an open book."

"Of course I did." Enishi grumbled.

"Then don't look so surprised." Kenshin answered.

Enishi frowned irritably. "Anyway, I just came to tell you, we're ready to go."

"Brilliant. Enishi, I am going to need a horse for the monk."

Kaoru blinked. "What?"

Kenshin turned to her. "Is something wrong, monk?"

"I can't go with you. I mean, I'm honoured but..."

"It's dangerous to be here all by yourself. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"I'll be alright. Please don't worry about me, your majesty." She replied after a little hesitation.

Kenshin waved his hand. "Please, call me by my name. It's seems very improper for you to call me by my title."

Kaoru demurred. "I couldn't possibly…."

"It's alright."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know your name." She said quietly.

He raised his eyebrows. "How careless of me. And I haven't asked you your name either. Well, my name is Kenshin. And yours?"

Kaoru took a deep breath. She clenched her fists.

Kenshin and Enishi exchanged a glance. Enishi shrugged. "Monk?" Kenshin asked tentatively.

"Haru!" Kaoru blurted suddenly. "My name is Haru."

Kenshin smiled. "You must be from Kutou then."

"I…."

"Very well, let's take you home then…..Haru."

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**Author****'s Note**

Thanks everyone for sticking around thus far. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope you all enjoy this. if anybody got missed in the thank you list, I apologise sincerely. Please don't hate me for it!


	13. Journey to Kutou

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer: **Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T for Kenshin's arrogance and Enishi's evil mind.

Ive included one of the drabbles from **Annals of Empire** (My drabbles based on this universe) because that was an important section (I've added to it in here) and I wasn't sure of you'd all read that.

Cheers!

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**Hope you like this chapter!!**

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone……

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 13: Journey to Kutou**

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Enishi flung the curtain to Kenshin's tent aside dismissively as he marched out of the crown prince's tent. His steps were hurried and his manner petulant. As though he didn't have enough things to worry about, here was a new task! _Find the monk a horse_. He stopped and surveyed the campsite, looking for someone who seemed capable of finding a horse that wouldn't slow them down, but would be small enough to make the monk feel comfortable. He couldn't understand Kenshin's interest in the monk.

Granted, he had saved his life. Kenshin had already made his appreciation and gratitude clear. There was no further reason to keep the monk around, and besides didn't the monk have places to go? Monks usually sought peace and quiet where they could meditate and pray or train, if they were members of a martial order. This monk looked like neither. He certainly was not part of a martial order. The air of delicacy surrounding him made that clear. And somehow, he did not seem like the quiet meditating type of monk either. Despite the delicacy of his manner, waves of unrest and unease emanated from him.

Enishi frowned. There was something that bothered him about that monk, but he didn't know what. Something was definitely wrong. Was Kenshin unaware of it? Or was his idea to take the monk along with them a ploy to find an answer to these questions? It had to be! Kenshin never did anything without a reason. If he was adamant that the monk accompany them to Kutou then there had to be something he was planning, but what?

And what about that ambush in the forest? It was clearly meant to assassinate Kenshin and Aoshi both. Enishi frowned. Who hated Kenshin enough to want him dead? It could not have been the Konan generals since they were on the run and there was no possible way that they could procure Kutou special squad soldier uniforms in such a short time. Whoever had planned that attack, had to belong to Kutou. It had to be somebody who would gain immensely from Kenshin's death and someone who obviously hated him no end.

A strange light shone in his eyes and he twisted his lips into a smile. So, there was someone else who thought that they were better off without Kenshin? _My, my, I had never thought I'd live to see the day when someone tried to kill Kenshin before I did_. Enishi straightened his shoulders and beckoned to one of the soldiers. There was nothing to worry about really. Whatever it was would reveal itself sooner or later. All he had to do till then was wait and keep his eyes open.

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Kaoru sat stiffly and trained her eyes to the floor. Events were moving with alarming speed, spiralling out of control. She had just barely managed to contain her anguish at finding out the identity of the man she's saved when another jolt shook her to the core. He was going to take her to Kutou.

Kutou!

Kutou was enemy land. It was a place to be wary of, a place she'd heard stories about but never seen. Kutou was a fantasy land that her father, Kamatari and Tae often wove into her bedtime stories when she was a child. The whimsical stories she'd heard about Kutou as a child transformed into serious discussions of policy and sovereignty by the time she was a young woman. The lure that Kutou had held for her as a child disappeared and was replaced by indignation, a vexing irritation that had to be masked carefully for political purposes.

She looked up as much as the hat would allow while keeping most of her face hidden. The Kutou prince had taken his gi off once more. He apparently was not satisfied with his arm guards and was pulling them off again. He stood nonchalantly with his back turned towards her. A shudder ran through her body. She felt her eyes grow wide as she noticed the wide, slashing wound on his back. There were numerous other small cuts but this one was the deepest and most prominent. It seemed singed, as though the flesh had been burnt after being pierced by a blade.

She shivered. The wound cut diagonally across his back; more than half of it was hidden by bandages, she only saw the small portion of it that had not been covered. Since the prince had finished tending to his wounds himself, it would not have been easy for him to reach so high.

Those wounds….were horrifying to look at. The flesh really had been burned after being ruthlessly cut. She felt a chill run down her spine and sluggishly moved her head as she fearfully recognised the telltale signs that told her whose sword had given him this wound.

In all the years she had spent in Kansan, never once had she seen her father draw his sword. She heard tales of his fighting prowess and his worth as a warrior from Hoji or Taro, but she had never been present to see him fight. She knew that her father favoured a sword style that was unknown to others in the kingdom. It was a secret style he had developed himself in the dark days when he had first ascended the throne of Kansan after his father's death at war. The fervent secrecy with which he shrouded his style had told her that it was something terrible and fearsome.

As she grew up, she learned small tidbits of information by listening to snippets of conversation between her father and uncle. She knew that the edge of his sword was jagged; she knew that he ran oil down the edge of his blade before each battle but she had never understood the purpose nor had she been told.

But, she understood now. The oil would combust into flames when struck with flint, and the person standing up against him would have to contend not only with the jagged sharp blade of his sword but also with the flames that erupted from it. The Fire sword of Konan. She could see the price of invading Konan etched on the back of her enemy now. But it gave her no peace, or happiness. It gave her nothing but a void where the memory of her father lay quietly, yet she felt no triumph in seeing the prince's body so viciously injured.

She only felt a deep-seated revulsion, the same revulsion she felt when she saw the mangled bodies of Konan soldiers lying in the streets. Inflicting pain and injury were necessary evils of a warrior's craft but she didn't think it was something that could be admired or celebrated. Her own school concentrated upon inflicting the least injury possible, even to an enemy. Its purpose was to heal the spirit of a warrior and make him understand right and wrong, not to defeat it.

The slash was an ugly shade of purple flecked with yellow; it would take time to heal. She also noticed that he had come off badly from the fight in the forest. The men who had attacked him had evidently tried to cut him in the same place again and again. It was an ugly way to fight. She blinked. Ugly but real. This was the way they fought - all of them - Okita, Taro, her father, Soujirou and even this man. She was the only one who thought there was something wrong with it.

"_Kaoru, war is not an adventure! It's cruel, ugly and bestial. Men become demons in the heat of bloodlust. You aren't going to find honour on a battlefield. Whatever you find won't be beautiful."_

Okita's quiet words rang in her ears. Her lips quivered and she clenched her fists. Why? What was so terrible and lacking in the way she felt and thought about fighting? Surely, it couldn't be right to celebrate giving excruciating pain and injury to another human being, no matter what the cause. People were not created to kill and main each other. People were made so that their mortal life served some higher purpose. People were created so that they could devote their lives to something larger than themselves – for love, for knowledge, for the strength of a craft, for anything….anything but death, misery and pain.

So why was she the only one who thought this way? They were both heirs to the respective thrones of their kingdoms. Hypothetically, she should have more in common with him than anybody else she knew. She had probably received a similar education but, there was nothing she could see in him that was familiar to her.

She looked at the man standing before her, silently surveying the calm and unruffled manner in which he inspected his wounds, as though they belonged to someone else, as though they didn't hurt him at all. How could he be so uncaring about his life? Watching him, she felt lost, like she didn't know how to speak or how to move. His nonchalance regarding the whole situation was unnerving. She felt distraught and disturbed merely by looking at his wounds despite being his enemy yet he took them in his stride as something unworthy of contemplation.

Why didn't any of them think this was wrong….?

The last one week of her life had taught her that there was an unbridgeable gap between her beliefs and the realities of war and battle that each member of her family and this man, her worst enemy, her nemesis knew as well. They were cut from the same mould; ruthless in battle and unshaken in their conviction that they were doing the world a favour by being the way they were.

And….now, after killing a man…was she now like them? Could she pick up a sword and slice through a man as cleanly and casually as they did? Was she going to turn into what she had struggled and fought against for so long? The death of that soldier in the forest created more questions for her and rankled at her nerves. It questioned her sense of purpose and mocked at her sanctimonious posturing – her claims to be a warrior, her self-styled quest of revenge.

The prince's voice cut through her silent introspection.

"How was it that you found us? We didn't sense anyone else there." The prince turned towards her. He leaned back against a set of plush pillows propped upon a recliner directly opposite to the chair she sat on, adjusting the pillows slightly so that they did not chafe against his back. He let out a small sigh of relief as he leaned back.

Kaoru could feel the nervous thumping of her heart. She would have to be very careful while answering his questions. Even the slightest slip on her part would give him a reason to ask even more prying questions. She had to keep him convinced that she was just a simple monk who had strayed from his path.

"I was not going anywhere in particular. I just happened to hear sounds…it sounded like a fight. I thought I'd inquire."

Kenshin tilted his head back and murmured. "Is that how it was? Hmmm."

He glanced at a mirror propped up in one corner of the tent. He turned his head so that he could see his left cheek clearly. The single slash, a remnant from his fight with Okita, ran from his cheekbone to his jaw line. It clashed with the beauty of his face and body. He ran his fingers down the cut and cursed under his breath.

Kaoru watched in amusement as he inspected the cut and cursed some more. It was the only wound he seemed to mind, but she didn't see how it made a difference. He was a startlingly handsome man and the cut only served to deepen the air of danger, arrogance and haughtiness that hung around him.

"I thought it might be something else." He said finally.

"What else could it be?" She asked.

He laughed. "You could have been a spy, or a bandit….or the very people we were searching for."

Kaoru smiled at the irony of the situation. "Well, I can assure you, I am not a spy, nor a bandit, and neither am I whom you were searching for."

He sat up and leaned forwards toward her. "I know. You are better than any of them."

She fumbled for words. "Better than any of them….how?"

"You gave me the chance to return home alive once more. That has to be better than catching an enemy general, no matter what the circumstance." His eyes lit up with a fiery light which startled her. She looked away in embarrassment.

She didn't have a chance to respond as the curtain to the tent was flung aside once more and the white-haired man she'd seen before trudged in. He glanced at her curiously again. She bent her head a little further. Kenshin didn't miss the gesture and raised an eyebrow faintly. The monk was acting very strangely. He absolutely refused to raise his head or his voice; in fact he was straining his ears to hear him. Enishi finally tore his eyes away from the monk.

He nodded at the prince. "I've found a suitable horse for the monk Kenshin."

"Brilliant." Kenshin sat up delicately and slipped off the recliner. He tied his armguards quickly and pulled his gi on. He slipped an equally elegant black haori over the gi and stood ready to leave.

As he secured his katana to his waist, he looked at Enishi, "You and Aoshi go ahead. I'll be there presently."

Enishi nodded and turned to go. Kenshin picked up his wakizashi and stuck it under his haori, out of sight. When Kaoru looked up again, he had fastened his hair in a high ponytail with an ornamental stick made of jade, signifying his status as a member of the royal household. Looking at the jade stick, she felt transported back in time, to the day of her engagement, to the day when she had first laid eyes on him.

They had been returning from the mountain shrine of the Moon goddess, and she had dropped her jade comb in the square. A man with hypnotic amethyst eyes had picked it up and dropped it in Tae's hand. She had been transfixed by the sight of his eyes, so beautiful, so unearthly and magical. They glowed with a strange light that seemed slightly mad in her dreams. She had a disturbed sleep that night. His eyes invaded her dreams and refused to let her sleep. His face flooded her senses and even as she fought the onslaught, she unconsciously searched for him when she succeeded in banishing him from her mind.

What could explain the thirst she felt to see him again and again? She could not speak of it, for fear of arousing Tae's suspicious and preachy dialogues about adultery and sin, all of which she was committing by dreaming or thinking about another man on the very night she was engaged to a man who would be her future husband. So she had kept quiet and continued to dream of his eyes, till the night when she had been forced to flee from her home.

Was all of this the price she had to pay for thinking of him then? But, she hadn't even known who he was. Was her sin the fact that she had seen his eyes, or that could not forget them? Was her biggest mistake the fact that she had told nobody, not even Taro about the stranger in her dreams? Could this have been what could have saved them in the end…..?

No, the war was too far gone from their hands by then, even when she saw him, even when there was no army on their borders. Isn't that what Da had said, the battle was lost before it even began. They fought only for their pride, they knew their land and kingdom was lost forever. And what did it any of it matter now? Had she known he was an enemy, she would have had him arrested, thrown into prison, guarded night and day and held to ransom until the Emperor of Kutou would be forced to withdraw his hostility in exchange for the life of his Heir.

Circumstances would have been different then. If only she had stopped him then, if only she had realised who he was, _what_ he was sooner. If only….

Kenshin stood silently beside the monk. The monk was very quiet, and seemed to be trying to escape inside his body. He sat hunched over, almost like a ball, his body taut with tension and intensity. Kenshin wondered what had triggered this sudden change. He knelt beside him and looked up at his face.

He was surprised to see that the monk had covered more than half his face with a cloth, covering all but his eyes which were tightly shut. He blinked. There was something about the monk's face that looked very familiar. It was a face he had seen before, but he couldn't remember where.

He narrowed his eyes. He could swear that he had never seen a monk with such a smooth forehead. Something was amiss. He felt a dull click fall into his place somewhere in the winding corridors of his mind. Something told him that he should be careful and that whatever decision he made about this person was going to be crucial to his life and soul.

He was certain that the monk was not being absolutely honest about himself. He reached out and touched the monk's knee. Kaoru almost jumped off the stool. The prince's warm fingers were clasped around her kneecap, softly exerting pressure. _He must be kneeling next to me, possibly looking at my face. Oh no. This is terrible. If I can recognise him, he will also recognise me. Once he realises who I am, he'll toss me into the dungeon and then what will I do? I better look away before he sees my face._

Kenshin frowned. The monk just sat there, as though nothing had happened. Kenshin felt ignored. He scowled. Nobody ignored him; there were no exceptions; even Shishou had never ignored him. No, Hiko could be counted upon to be meticulously vicious and misanthropic when it considered him but never neglecting. There was never anything that could be more important than what he had to say to anyone, (except Shishou). The monk suddenly leapt up and moved away from him. Kenshin looked at him curiously and raised an eyebrow elegantly.

"Is something wrong, Haru?"

Kaoru shook her head. "Nothing," she replied in what she hoped was a deep voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you jumped just now."

Kaoru cursed under her breath. "Oh that. I….uh…don't like being touched. It disturbs me."

Kenshin raised both his eyebrows and tried to expel the look of extreme amusement that had appeared on his face.

"I see. Well, I'll remember that, and I'll tell the others too, just in case somebody makes up his mind to touch you." He said nonchalantly.

Kaoru bristled. _He didn't have to make it sound like that_. "Please don't laugh at me." She wrapped her arms around her chest protectively. Kenshin observed the gesture and was tempted to laugh but managed to stop himself in time. Smiling at the monk, he led the way out of the tent and through the campsite to where Enishi, Aoshi and Beshimi stood with two horses.

As they approached, Enishi turned to Aoshi, whose left arm hung in a sling, and muttered silently, "I don't know why he's insisting on taking that monk along. Something's very suspicious about the matter."

Aoshi didn't reply, instead he turned to look the other way. Even though he agreed with Enishi, Aoshi kept his own counsel. He had been watching the "monk" closely since they'd returned to camp. There was something that was strange about him, the way he walked, the way he moved, the way he spoke in the slightest of whispers. There was definitely something, something he needed to find out as soon as possible, or there could be a lot of trouble.

Enishi sighed wearily. He was missing Sanosuke, who at least talked to him. Talking to Aoshi was like speaking to a huge wall of stone. He straightened as Kenshin drew near.

Kenshin looked about and frowned. "Enishi, I thought you had a horse ready for Haru."

Enishi bit his lip. "I didn't take Beshimi into account. I didn't know he was coming as well and we can't take any more horses from this campsite, they are already short. Most of the cavalry is at Kansan and will stay there till they get relieved."

"Are you trying to tell me that there is not one extra horse on this campsite if we need one? So if we had to fly from this place, anyone who didn't sleep on their horse at night would be running behind us on foot?"

Enishi managed to keep a wooden expression on his face. He hated it when Kenshin's tone became caustic. "The cavalry, as I mentioned, is still at Kansan. This campsite is for foot soldiers, they don't need that many extra horses. This was the only one they could spare and it's taken by Beshimi."

Kaoru watched with growing trepidation as the atmosphere gradually turned dangerous. She cut into the conversation before realising what she was doing.

"It's alright, your Majesty….er….I don't need a horse. I will prefer to walk actually."

Kenshin glanced at her. "Do you intend to walk to Kutou? You'll die of exhaustion before you reach halfway." She was flabbergasted. _How did he do that? what I meant to say was that I have no intention of going to Kutou and he doesn't need to bother about me but here I am, trying to explain myself, and trying to stop this from turning into a full-blown argument. What is wrong with me?_

"Fine, I guess we can't do anything about it. Haru, you'll have to ride with me." Kenshin took the reins of the dappled stallion on the left and led it forward, stroking its face and mane gently. Kaoru blinked. _What did he just say? Is he out of his mind?_

"Ride with you? I don't think….I don't want to inconvenience you, I really shouldn't ….."

Kenshin waved her argument aside. "I won't be inconvenienced, don't worry. Come here." He reached forward and took her elbow. Pulling her towards himself, he placed his hands on her waist and hoisted her up on the horse as though she was no heavier than a child. He put his foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse with ease. Kaoru watched in horror as he pulled the reins tightly in his hands, his arms trapped her in a circle. He dug his heels in slightly and the horse flew forward breaking into a run up the inclined road that was cut into the side of the hill beside which they had made camp.

She heard the sounds of hooves falling on the ground behind her as the tiny ninja, and the tall, silent man with a broken wrist followed them.

She felt her eyes grow hot and realised that the heat she felt coursing through her eyes and nose were actually tears that formed and fell down her cheeks. She was leaving the very frontiers of her home behind and was going to the seat of her enemy. What would become of her life? The way ahead seemed bleak, very bleak.

-

-

There was a terse knock on the door. Soujirou glanced at the door for a moment, and then turned his attention back towards Okita who lay stone still on a futon stretched out before him. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, Soujirou placed a cold compress on Okita's forehead. Okita moaned in pain. Soujirou frowned.

The fever had not subsided. No matter how many compresses he applied, no matter how religiously he gave Okita his medicine, the fever raged on. Intermittently, he would call out Kaoru's name and rock violently, straining against the hold Soujirou had on him. Left to his devices, Okita would rush from the room, mount the nearest horse and ride back to Kansan, where he believed Kaoru was…..where she had died, burning away with the palace.

The knocking on the door became insistent. Soujirou turned sharply. He pulled the heaviest of the blankets over Okita and turned the sides under the futon, praying that the makeshift weight would hold Okita down. He stood and strode to the door. He opened it an inch and peered out suspiciously. A man, robed in the livery of the Yagyu shinobi stood silently. His face was masked by the shadows.

Soujirou didn't miss the katana he wore on his waist and the shuriken tucked into his belt or the mark of death that lurked on his face. "Yes?"

"Soujirou Seta." His voice was hoarse and raspy. Soujirou felt a chill run down his spine. It was the most unpleasant voice he had heard in his life. It sounded like the voice of a viper even though there was no trace of a hiss in the man's voice. It was simply a voice that seemed to emerge from the deepest, darkest trenches of the ancient earth – cold, dark and deadly. He tried to read the man's ki but couldn't detect anything. A thick cloud of nothingness enveloped his entire being. He was unreadable….just like him.

"Soujirou Seta." He repeated in his hollow, guttural voice.

"Yes." He replied warily.

It had been less than two hours since he had appeared at the gates of Nara, the capital city of Xinchen, a former ally of Konan. Xinchen had acquiesced to Hiko Seijurou's protectorate agreement two years ago. The kingdom was now required to consult the Lightning Emperor in all matters of foreign and economic policy as well as pay tribute tax to Hiko Seijurou annually. The levy of the tax ate away at that section of the treasury that was reserved to secure arms and supplies for the army.

It was a simple arrangement. Xinchen had abandoned all claims to an army and sovereign governance in exchange for the protection offered by Hiko Seijurou. The same offer that had been made to Konan; the refusal of which had resulted in the destruction of Konan and the death of its king.

"My king awaits you in his chamber. Come." The shinobi turned and began to walk away.

Soujirou glanced back at Okita, who was in no position to be moved. "My companion cannot move. He is very ill."

"Leave him. My king intends to speak with you."

Soujirou hesitated. "I cannot leave him alone. He might need something."

"You must come now. Your companion will be taken care of. My king will be displeased if we are late."

Soujirou frowned. He knew why this was happening. He was not in a position to refuse. The Xinchen king had given them shelter when the Kutou soldiers were hot on their heels. He could not refuse to honour the king's command at this moment. If the king had not given them shelter when he did, Okita would have surely died. He was deeply in his debt, and the king knew this. But he also could not leave Okita in this state. It would be fatal to his health. Torn between his concern for his friend and the obligation he owed to the king for giving them sanctuary inside his fortress, Soujirou decided quickly.

"Very well. You must send a man to watch my friend."

"It will be done."

Soujirou returned to Okita and knelt down so that his mouth was on level with Okita's ears.

"Okita, I will be back in a while. The king has called for me." Okita opened his eyes weakly and stared at him. After a brief pause he nodded slowly and shut his eyes again.

Soujirou placed the small bowl of water beside the futon, where Okita could reach easily, despite his weakness and the weight of the blanket upon him. Reluctantly and with a grave demeanour, Soujirou stood and walked out of the room where the shinobi waited for him impatiently. He followed a checkerboard path behind him that finally led them to a wide hall where the Xinchen king sat expansively on a throne of burnished silver. His face was wide and swarthy, covered with pockmarks. His eyes were deep set and seemed to burn with a hunger and light that never rested. A concubine rested on his lap, her long and shapely legs were wrapped over his, her arms draped around his fatuous neck and her lips hovering over his ear. Her kimono was pushed down over her shoulders, revealing her shoulders and her breasts. Soujirou resisted the urge to twitch his nose in disgust.

Despite the presence of spies and other men of court around him, the king continued to fondle and caress the woman seated with him. One hand stroked her thigh while he ran the fingers of the other hand caressed her breast. The woman kept giggling and smiling widely; she seemed drunk. Her eyes wouldn't focus and her eyelids drooped dangerously.

The king of Xinchen represented everything that was despicable and revolting in Soujirou's eyes. To think that this man was the social equal of Shishio Makoto was a slur to his former master. And the thought that he was now in this man's debt almost made him wish that he and Okita had both died by the sword of the red-haired warrior they had encountered in Kansan.

That death would have been more honourable than anything that this man would ask of him. In his heart, Soujirou wept bitter tears of shame and regret.

"Your majesty, I bring you Soujirou Seta." The shinobi bent his head in solemn obeisance.

-

-

Kaoru squirmed. She had never been so close to a man before. It was humiliating and awkward, not to mention uncomfortable. Even Okita had never been so close to her, and she had been….was in love with him. They'd been riding non-stop for at least four hours. She could feel the prince's arms crowding her, as they pulled the reins, sometimes pulling the horse up short, sometimes letting the horse run as it pleased. His breath ghosted over in a mist that sneaked under the hat she wore and escaped down her neck, making the tiny hairs on her neck and back rise. Her legs felt cramped. Her bow and quiver were fastened securely to the saddle. She frequently felt her back bump into the prince's chest. Each time it happened, she would cringe and mentally curse herself for landing in this situation.

Kenshin looked down at the monk. He would jump each time his arm brushed against him and gasp as though he were a virginal girl in the arms of a new lover, and then he would freeze and slowly tilt his head to one side as though checking if anyone had noticed. It was amusing, and very, very interesting to say the least.

Aoshi kept his eyes on the path they were taking. The horses were swift; they would be within the sight of the first Kutou outpost in another day or so. Thoughts about the ambush plagued him. On whose orders had those men unleashed such a deadly attack upon Kenshin? All of the men who had been involved in that attack in the clearing were skilled and accomplished swordsmen. They followed no distinct style by which he could trace them through their schools instead; their method of sword fighting followed no method at all. It was merely a wild, yet balanced hacking of the sword that was accompanied by breathtaking speed. They had been trained to betray no specialty of swordsmanship, which was fitting since they were assassins.

He had struggled against them which worried him no end. As the future leader of the Oniwabanshu, if he couldn't protect his future king from a band of assassins, did he truly deserve to be Okashira? Kenshin had to step in to save his life and had to be saved by someone else entirely. Aoshi felt perplexed. His skills were perhaps rusty; perhaps he needed to train more. He glanced at Kenshin. They hadn't had the chance to discuss this event but they would soon. And things might not be so easy to explain, not to Kenshin, much less to Hiko Seijurou.

Troubled as he was, Aoshi watched placidly Kenshin stop his horse and ask him to dismount as well. Aoshi kept staring blankly at the path in front of him.

"Aoshi, we're going to stop here for a while." Kenshin held his horse steady while he motioned for the monk to dismount. He held his hand out to the monk; the horse was a war stallion and a thoroughbred; the monk would have trouble getting to the ground. However, the monk calmly shook his head and swung his leg over and expertly landed with both feet on the ground. Kenshin stroked the mane of the horse and said nothing, but his eyes held the evidence of a hundred questions, each of them related to the slight young man who was now seated on a grassy patch of ground with his eyes closed in meditation.

Aoshi watched the monk settle comfortably on a tuft of grass and breathe deeply with eyes closed before he began to press certain pressure points on his hands to relieve the stress he undoubtedly felt in his legs. He slid to the ground without comment but walked purposefully towards Kenshin and tapped his elbow.

Kenshin looked at him questioningly. Aoshi tilted his head to a side and jerked his head, asking Kenshin to follow him. Kenshin nodded quietly.

The two men walked a little way away. Beshimi grabbed the reins of the horses and held them steady, allowing them to nibble on the grass now and then.

"How long do you intend to drag this monk along with us?" Aoshi asked without preamble.

Kenshin glanced at him. "Does it bother you?"

"Yes, it bothers me. He is not what he's pretending to be."

"Is that all that bothers you about him?"

"No. I don't know. All I understand at this moment is that he is lying to us and he has something up his sleeve. There are too many unanswered question surrounding him. Where did he spring from in the Bandit's Forest? Why did he save us?"

"Us? Don't you mean me?" Kenshin replied sharply. Aoshi sucked his breath in and looked at the ground.

"I am sorry. I should have known about it, I should have been able to do something about it."

"Yes, you should have. I'm surprised. How did you manage to miss something as serious as this, there was a plot to kill us both and you had no idea about it."

Aoshi dragged his eyes to meet Kenshin's. "It was a very well-kept secret."

Kenshin held his eyes for a few painful, excruciating moments before relenting on his cousin and shaking his head to relieve the tension of the moment. He dropped the accusatory tone in his voice and lightly punched Aoshi's shoulder.

"Stop looking like I'm already dead. It was a surprise to both of us and there's nothing we can do about it now."

Aoshi exhaled. "I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Hiko. He'll kill me. If anything had happened to you, he would have had me cut, quartered and roasted on a spit."

"Yeah, he would crib about it for a few days and then start looking for a new heir." Kenshin smiled good-naturedly.

Shaking his head, Aoshi smiled sardonically and looked at his cousin. "You're doing Hiko a grave injury by thinking he would forget you so easily. I doubt he would look for a new heir should something happen to you. He made his decision to make you the next Emperor a long time ago, and he has never regretted it, so replacing you is not on his scheme of things, even death won't change that. "

"Won't it? An empire needs an emperor. The death of one heir doesn't change anything. I'm just a spoke in the wheel of the existence of Kutou. Whether I live or die, Kutou will always exist."

Kaoru leaned against the trunk of a tree and listened quietly as the two men conversed. She had been standing there long enough to hear Aoshi make his suspicions about her apparent. She'd been alarmed but was relieved as the prince showed no signs of acting upon his friend's apprehension.

The clear call of a songbird broke the silence. Aoshi pursed his lips together. "Do you realise that they must have thought the same thing?"

"Who?"

"Shishio, Kamatari, and the man who gave you that cut. They all must have thought that Konan will exist and thrive even if they die in battle. Konan will continue to survive, and live beyond the time they spend on earth. But that didn't happen, did it?"

"I wonder about that. How do you destroy a land Aoshi? By invading it, burning it to the ground, by annihilating anyone who speaks of it?"

"That is one way."

"But nations cannot be destroyed like that. Nations live in our memories and our minds. Shishio may be dead but he lives in the memories of his people. Does that not make him as alive now as he was then?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that death does not finish anything. Konan will survive, even in defeat. It won't die and it won't finish. And that is why; my death will not signal the end of Kutou."

"But it would change Kutou forever."

"Possibly."

Aoshi was silent. He bit his lip. "Alright, leaving all this aside. There can be only one explanation for this. The level of the attack we had to face in the forest makes it obvious that whoever planned it has been working on this plan for months. And that person could only be from Kutou to manage to infiltrate our squads with his own men." His brow furrowed as he concentrated. "Now, who stands to gain the most by your death?"

Kaoru leaned forward so that she could hear clearly. This was important. The kind of ruthless attack that had been unleashed on the prince made it obvious that whosoever it was trying to kill him was taking no chances. If she could find out who ordered his attack, it might help her own agenda of revenge or at least provide her with some information she could use to her advantage later on.

Kenshin snapped his head back as he felt the presence of someone else in the trees. He glanced at Aoshi who was lost in his thoughts. Kenshin pursed his lips together as the intruding ki felt familiar. He looked at Aoshi and smiled. This could become interesting, all it needed was for Aoshi to understand and play along.

"Frankly Aoshi, the only person who stands to gain anything from my death in the immediate future has to be you."

-

-

"Soujirou Seta. Shishio Makoto's most trusted soldier. I must admit I had never imagined that you would be standing in front of me like this, when I first met you." The king leaned forward, as much as the concubine's cloying hold on his person allowed.

Soujirou merely nodded. Ideally, he should bow his head and thank the king for his help but he couldn't. He couldn't insult the memory of Shishio by bowing his head before a man who did not possess even a sliver of his majesty and strength of character. Shishio had given him strength when he had none. The only way he could now honour Shishio was to uphold that strength and live his life with pride and dignity. Dignity, that would be stripped if he bent before this man.

"Too proud to show the proper respect I see." The king had not missed the lack of proper obeisance on Soujirou's part. Immediately, two Yagyu shinobi appeared at his side and placed a heavy hand on each of his shoulders, making to shove him down to his knees. Soujirou tightened his stance and dug his heels in, prepared to stand his ground, when the king began to laugh. It was a loud, cackling laughter, devoid of joy and mirth. He laughed as though he was amused but Soujirou could read fury spreading through the entirety of his ki.

The king waved his hand and the shinobi froze. "Enough. I am not so miserable that I must now force respect through such ugly means." The shinobi backed away and disappeared into the shadows of the court.

"Step forward Soujirou Seta. Let me look at your face." The king beckoned him forward. Soujirou complied.

"Yes, I see Shishio's indelible stamp upon you. Very well. You are just the man I need for this job."

"Job?"

"Yes. I am a man of a few, plain words. I saved you and your friend from certain death. Now it is your turn to repay my kindness with sincerity."

Soujirou resisted the urge to frown. He merely smiled; his trademark smile that held no meaning and no purpose. The king frowned and turned towards the shinobi who had led Soujirou to the throne room. He stepped forward.

"Soujirou Seta, this is my chief bodyguard. You are to follow his orders. He will explain what is to be done. Go now." The shinobi bowed low before his king and disappeared behind the throne. Soujirou swiftly followed him to find a passage leading out the throne room. It was dark, there was no light in the passage and the air was musty. Soujirou squinted but soon enough his eyes adjusted to the poor light and he began to follow the man who was supposed to give him orders.

Halfway down the passage, Soujirou decided it was time to speak and get some information.

"So how long have you been the king's assassin?"

"What makes you think I am an assassin? I am His Majesty's bodyguard. He told you so himself."

"A body guard who left his liege in the arms of a cheaply bought concubine? A bodyguard would never make that mistake."

The shinobi chuckled. "I see. So it's the whore that bothered you. I was wondering what aspect of my king would insult your sensibilities. I was not wrong."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Were you expecting an answer? My, my, you are more like a child than a swordsman." He spat suddenly. "I have been in charge of kills for almost ten years. And now you are to help me."

"For how long?"

"For as long as it pleases my king."

-

-

Aoshi stared back at Kenshin with dead eyes. "What do you mean?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Think about it. If I die, you are next in line to the throne. We get news that the Konan generals have escaped into the Bandits' forest through one of your spies. There was nobody apart from us and the men that _you_ picked to accompany us in the forest by the way. And as luck would have it; you picked a bunch of assassins to accompany us as reinforcements into the Bandit's forest."

"Beshimi was there."

"Beshimi…who is a member of the Oniwabanshu and devoted to you. You could get Beshimi to do anything as long as it kept your hide out of the fire. So I'm beginning to understand that you were behind the whole plot. How does that sound?"

Aoshi kept a straight face. "Everything seems to fit. It's a logical progression. Only it's not true."

"That hardly makes a difference. I think it's a touch of brilliance don't you? Get me killed, and saddle you with the blame. It makes everything so clear, doesn't it?"

Aoshi nodded. "Beautiful. But where does this leave the monk then?"

Kaoru strained her ears to hear. Kenshin bent his head. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

-

-

All that remained of the once beautiful and mesmerising buildings that had been part of the Kansan royal palace complex was a few walls and structures of stubborn stone that refused to crumble despite the damage inflicted upon them. They stood like silent skeletons of a time past, never to return. Pairs of soldiers stood around watching as the prisoners taken during the battles fought inside the city walls emptied the courtyards of rubble, bricks, shingles, and bodies.

The going was slow but the soldiers seemed to be in no hurry. They occasionally barked an order or two, told some of the prisoners to be quicker or admonished them but on the whole, the soldiers left the prisoners alone. They were responsible for overseeing the cleaning process; how the prisoners did it was not their concern.

An old man shuffled about with a bamboo basket picking up pieces of brick and rubble with his hands and dumping them into the basket. His spindly legs were hardly able to carry his weight but he continued to march in and out of the besieged courtyard. He hoisted the basket upon his shoulders and walked timorously out of the courtyard towards the perimeter wall (or what was left of it). The moat was being filled with the rubble from the palace and the city.

He shuffled back to the courtyard as fast as his legs would allow and began to pile his basket full again. As he swept soil, rubble and stones into his basket, his fingers brushed against something soft. He paused. He swept the ground once more and found nothing. Frowning, he began to feel the soil, gently probing and searching with his fingers until his fingers hit something that felt soft again. He brushed the soil around that area away to find a solid column of stone sitting atop another column. There was a small crevice between them.

He looked at it for a while before sticking his hand inside. He groped about for a few minutes and suddenly, he felt something cold and soft inside. He froze.

Gently turning his head side to side he checked how close the nearest soldiers were. Then softly, he hauled the basket out to the moat and began to walk back to the same spot. On the way, he pulled a man aside.

"Come with me. I need help."

"What is it?"

"I've found someone…under the rubble."

"So why are you whispering about it? Just tell the soldiers and they'll help remove the big stones."

"You don't understand. We can't tell the soldiers about this one."

"Why not?"

"Because I suspect, it's the body of a royal."

"What! Why didn't you say so before? Hurry!"

The two men made their way back to the courtyard as fast as they could without alerting the guards and soldiers to their activities. They scrabbled around the stone columns and started to dig inwards. Eventually the stone column gave way. A hand was visible. One of the men snuck grabbed it and felt for a pulse. He almost leapt.

Leaning towards his companion, he whispered furiously. "He's alive!" The man moved ever so slightly and moaned. Word spread like wildfire amongst the prisoners and soon a small group of them were engaged in quietly removing smaller pieces of stone from under the column to make a sort of tunnel through which they could remove the body. Progress was slow as they often had to camouflage their attempts at rescue from the soldiers who walked about checking on them. But finally after hours of intense digging, they managed to create a tunnel through which they pulled the body out and gently lowered it onto a stretcher.

The man who had found it quickly removed all signs that proclaimed him to be a member of the royal house of Konan. His jewellery was removed. His clothes were already torn but they removed even the remnants of the red silk sash he wore and removed the jade ear stud that signified his status.

"What's going on?" A soldier demanded brusquely. The prisoners had formed a circle of sorts around something.

"Nothing, nothing. We found another body." Someone murmured.

"Well what are you waiting for then? Take it to the healer."

"Yes, right away."

A couple of men picked the stretcher up and briskly walked towards the base camp of the Kutou army that lay outside the city walls. On the way, they slyly turned away from the path and took the stretcher south towards the river. Two more men waited with another stretcher near the river gate. They picked up their stretcher, which held a dead body and marched off toward the direction of the healer while the men who had just arrived, quietly took their stretcher down to a secluded spot on the river bank and set the body against a wide, flat rock face. One of them untied his water skin bottle from his belt and poured a little in his hand and splashed it over the face of the man.

He moaned again and this time attempted to raise his hand. The man put his water skin in his hand and leaned forward to whisper something in the man's ear.

"We must hide you for now my lord. There's ample water in this skin, but by nightfall I will bring you food and water."

The man cracked an eye open. He nodded slowly and opened his mouth. He painstakingly lifted the water skin to his lips and gulped some water.

"Kao…."

"Please don't waste any more energy my lord. We shall come by at nightfall."

"Night….."

"Yes, at night. You can trust us….we shan't let you down, Lord Kamatari."

-

-

**Author's Note**

Wow. I finally updated. Real life totally hijacked my will to write something fun like this. I've been doing a lot of writing, just not any writing of the fic variety. I'm terribly sorry for that.

Canst thou forgive me?

Well, I hope you all like this chapter. Kaoru is finally on her way to Kutou. Kenshin and Aoshi discover a sinister plot against them. Soujirou has a new set of problems to take care of and Kamatari is revived. Yay!

You know the drill, read and review and I really want to know what you all thought of the main points in this chapter (pssstt….I jotted them down a few lines above!)


	14. Aggression

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T for quarrelsome royalty

Cheers!

Flashbacks are italicized. And thanks everyone who has been patient with my erratic posting habits. I don't deserve you guys. You are all super. Hope you like this chapter!!

**Thank you List**

Diablo Richie – Ahhh that first chapter is a disaster, I'm considering rewriting it. I wrote that chapter in a hurry two years ago. Hope you like the rest of the story.

Kyori – Well, having her barge into an enemy camp and demand to duel their prince is….stupid, sorry to say. Kaoru has learned the lesson of impetuousness after shooting Katsu so she's not about to rush into anything any time soon. As cold and calculating as it sounds, waiting for the opportune moment to show your hand is something that has been drummed into her head since she was a child. And even though she forgets this lesson sometimes, mostly she acts in accordance to it.

Sexyjess – Saankyu , AutumnsFall, MaraSeti, Luplup, Al, Donna8157 , Ringesttsu, Shadow of the lost, Kikyo10, Vampire Queen Kaoru, Twinbuster, Zethios, Queen Hermy Penguin, ChildlikeEmpress, Supernaturallove, Kenjutsu2Princess, Masami, The Fluffy Muffin Queen, The Only Love for Soujirou Seta, Feve30, Sarah, Quetzalcoatl Mistress, Black lotus blossom, Blossompetals, Midnightblue 123, Iuvenalis, Twinines, Apleeie, Dream Big, Hopeless romantic 121, Tiki-strife, Ixchen, Forever dreaming, Emumoon, Kakashiindrag – Lol, Onhiro, Keniichi, Akiyan, Sweet Miyu, lazyreader, Cutepuff, Whit195, sword_of_heaven, happyloveygirl, Flowergirl, Falkeness, sakura, **skenshingumi**, ELLIE31773, jasmine_blossom625, manga_girl234, Illeterate, antica, reitamoeshi, icy, Kaori-angel, alwyzme, miniwoo, iluvchocs, sulou, Ellav31, Leigh4, EmbersofAmber, flaming-amber, MikaylaMae, rawr, keniichi, kenshinorio, Rosabella, StoryJunky, Lady Madison, cleoclaudia, JadePhoenix, AceRaptor, Gabyhyatt, Impashence

Hope I haven't forgotten anyone……

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

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**Chapter 14: Aggression**

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* * *

**Recap**

Aoshi kept a straight face. "Everything seems to fit. It's a logical progression. Only it's not true."

"That hardly makes a difference. I think it's a touch of brilliance don't you? Get me killed, and saddle you with the blame. It makes everything so clear, doesn't it?"

Aoshi nodded. "Beautiful. But where does this leave the monk then?"

Kaoru strained her ears to hear. Kenshin bent his head. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

**End of Recap**

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"Monks don't usually attempt to eavesdrop on private conversations." The thin voice of the ninja proclaimed behind her. Kaoru held her breath and slowly turned to find the ninja staring at her.

She inclined her head and stepped away from the tree she had been leaning against. Trying to put some distance between herself and the little man, she moved away from the tree, painfully aware that the ninja's eyes were focused solidly upon her and that he was watching her every move with wary suspicion in his eyes.

"I was just looking for them. I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything." She replied casually, hoping that he would fall for the explanation. At the same time she flooded her mind with earnestness, just in the event that this ninja was proficient at reading ki. The sincerity and semblance of truthfulness emanating from her would save her from having to explain why she was so interested in listening to the conversation between the prince and his companion.

Beshimi narrowed his eyes and slowly extracted a dagger from his sleeve. Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek. She felt a muscle in her face twitch but she stood her ground.

"I don't believe that drivel anymore than you do. Now, why don't we drop the pretense and talk about what you're really doing here."

"Talk? You're holding a dagger in your hand and expecting me to talk while you threaten me with it? You must be out of your mind."

"Out of my mind? That's laughable considering what you're trying to do here."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Let me make myself clear then!" He hurtled forward, loosening the dagger and pulling it from the sheath in one clean movement. Kaoru's eyes widened as she followed the path of the dagger coming at her at breakneck speed. She didn't have the time to draw an arrow, even less time to pull her own dagger out of the bindings around her breasts. It would do no good to protect her identity if all she was going to get out of it was death. In a split second she made her decision, and tore the hat off her head and held it in front of her.

Beshimi's face twisted with frustration as the blade slid into the straw lines of the hat. The bones of his wrist clicked loudly as she threw the hat aside and swung her fist, catching the ninja squarely in the face. Beshimi stumbled back, surprised at the ferocity of the punch that struck him. He had barely managed to regain his footing when Kaoru rammed the palm of her hand up his nose, making it bleed. Beshimi staggered back and held his hands to his nose.

Kaoru swung her right leg off the ground and slammed her foot into Beshimi's stomach. Her ankle exploded with the pain of the blow but she kept it stiff. The ninja collapsed and fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.

Kaoru slowly lowered her leg and realized that she had an audience.

The prince and the tall silent man with him stood behind her, watching the scene with surprise.

Aoshi glanced towards Beshimi, who stood shakily, still clutching his abdomen, and hobbled over to his leader. Aoshi glared at the tiny ninja, making him look away in embarrassment and shame. Beshimi cringed. Aoshi's eyes promised a painful and merciless chastisement.

Kenshin sucked his breath in. The woman standing in front of him was the woman he had seen in a palanquin a night before the invasion of Konan. The circumstances were perhaps different but he felt just as sapped of energy and intelligence as he looked at her. His knees felt weak and he could hear the blood in his veins course faster, as though each blood cell was racing. He could hear the frantic thumping of his heart and he could feel muscles tighten in places he didn't want to think about right now.

The face he had dreamed about seeing for so long was in front of him. She was here and he could finally look at her without being afraid that she might once again melt into the smoky haze that accompanied his dreams. Because this time, he was awake, wide awake and this time, she was true. Her skin was covered in dust and grime. Her hair was undone and slightly tousled; it curled into a loosened coil down her neck, with the ends of her hair reaching her stomach but despite the shabby appearance she made at the moment, she stood as befitted her stature as a princess – proud, strong and inescapably majestic. Her eyes seemed wary and she watched them cautiously, wondering what would happen next.

He felt a nudge. He glanced at Aoshi who very slowly raised an eyebrow as though he were asking him – "What are you going to do about this?"

What _was_ he going to do about this? Well, if he were absolutely honest, he really had no idea. He had never imagined even in his wildest dreams that he would find her here, like this. And to think, he'd thought of little else since he'd seen her.

The circumstances of their second meeting were incredible. How in the world had she managed to make her way to the very clearing where they were facing an ambush and decided to help them, against every principle of her sword school? The odds of such an occurrence were painfully low and yet…..it was their destiny that had brought them together again. Destiny had conspired to throw them on the same path. It could be nothing else, he decided.

He marveled at her courage. A young girl traveling alone in these troubled times and holding her own against a trained ninja was remarkable. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Beshimi gingerly poking a wobbly tooth on his jaw. Her punch had dispatched two of his pearly white teeth already, if this one broke loose as well, it would bring the number to three. Shameful, considering that it was a girl who punched him and that he was Oniwabanshu. Kenshin smirked. No, she had pretty much buried Beshimi in the ground. The shame of being bested by a non-ninja would kill him if Aoshi didn't.

He made no attempt to disguise the blatant admiration in his eyes. What a remarkable girl!

The silence was awkward but none of them attempted to break it. Kaoru waited quietly. Her identity was revealed. There was not even the slightest possibility that either of the two men was unaware of her identity after seeing her face.

She had been obliged to meet and speak with Aoshi Shinomori when he had been in Konan as emissary from to Konan from the court of the Lightning Emperor. Despite Kamatari's undisguised regard for him, she had been put off by his stoic silence and by his refusal to give of himself in a conversation. Selfish, that's what she thought he was. Selfish for not speaking and allowing the person he spoke to a window into his personality. He only listened, perhaps punctuating the conversation by a nod or a soft murmur now and again. He was narcissistic, she told Taro. Taro had responded by laughing.

"_Did it ever occur to you that he might have been embarrassed or shy?"_

"_Shy? He's an emissary. He has no business being shy."_

_Kamatari pulled a face. "I don't deny that you have a point. If you don't have a passionate love for talking and meeting people, the duties of an emissary will undoubtedly feel tedious."_

_She tossed her head. "If that's the case, somebody made a mistake when they chose him as an ambassador. Taro, he's so boring! Da introduced me to him, and after the initial five words, he said absolutely nothing! I stood with him for five minutes and the man did not speak one word. Thankfully, the dinner bell sounded and Soujirou appeared to take me away."_

"_The poor man must be sneezing somewhere." _

"_Well, next time he needn't be so rude." She replied flatly._

_Kamatari looked pensive for a while. "Minxlette, you really don't judge people very well."_

_Kaoru raised her head and looked at him quizzically. "In what way, Taro?"_

_Kamatari came and sat beside her. Kaoru propped herself up on her elbows and looked up at him. He gently stroked her head with his fingers. _

"_Aoshi Shinomori is a good man. He respects and values his men. He is noble and I expect, very brave on the battlefield. Yes, he is silent and doesn't speak much, but that doesn't mean that he is being rude or that he is arrogant."_

"_What does it mean then?"_

_Kamatari smiled. "He must not have expected you there and was perhaps at a loss of things to say. It is not common for women to be present in such gatherings in most kingdoms."_

_It was Kaoru's turn to smile. "Yes but Taro, Kutou is not one of those kingdoms. I know for a fact that they have women working as healers, even spies."_

"_Are any of them members of a royal house?"_

"_What difference does that make?"_

"_A lot. There are very specific things that you speak about to princesses, if you have any breeding. Politics is not one of them."_

"_I thought that rule was abandoned during the dark ages."_

"_Well, it's been abandoned on paper, but very little has changed in tangible terms, if you understand what I'm saying. So if Aoshi is the scion of some very highborn, noble family in Kutou which he is, then he will have been raised not to speak unless absolutely necessary with equally high born females."_

"_That's nonsense!"_

"_You think its nonsense. Tae thinks it's perfectly appropriate. Power within relationships is often the result of a certain mystery surrounding potential partners."_

"_But there's no reason to be so straitlaced about it. I mean, that way, men and women would have no friends at all!"_

"_How many male friends do you have? Or for that matter, female friends?"_

"_Many!"_

"_Alright. Name two."_

"_You."_

"_I'm your uncle and related to you by blood."_

"_Soujirou."_

"_He's your brother."_

"_He's not related to me by blood though." She remarked triumphantly._

_Kamatari smiled sadly. "Which is the reason you are not permitted to speak to him beyond the confines of this palace? Anybody else?"_

_Kaoru shut her mouth and thought about it pensively. She looked at Kamatari with sad eyes. "I'm not nearly as rebellious as I'd like to be, am I Taro?"_

_Kamatari swung his legs over and lay down beside her. "You work with what you get. The rules of society usually aren't very kind to women, regardless of where they stand in life."_

_Kaoru was silent. Finally, she murmured. "Taro, how does one become a good judge of people?"_

_His lips twisted into a smile. "By listening to them. Listen to what they have to say, and if you see truth reflected in their eyes, you know that you can trust them, even if they happen to be an enemy."_

She stood, waiting. For a second it seemed as though Taro was standing right next to her, whispering softly into her ear, _listen to what they have to say, and if you see truth reflected in their eyes, you know that you can trust them, even if they happen to be an enemy_.

Kaoru looked squarely at Aoshi Shinomori. Kamatari had seen something in the man that led him to believe that he could be trusted. While she didn't share her uncle's optimistic view on this, she believed in his judgment enough to risk trusting Aoshi once.

"I'm thirsty."

Aoshi pulled a water skin from the pocket of his coat and offered it to her. "You are the last person we expected to find in the forest, Your Highness."

And he was not lying. Dragons above! How in the name of the seven heavens had she managed to escape Kansan and land up here, of all places? And how had none of them noticed that it was a girl masquerading as a monk? Small things which had seemed strange about the monk were now clear. Haru's habit of staying silent most of the time, of keeping his face out of sight, of moving so gracefully, and even of his apparent ease around thoroughbred war stallions was because he was none other than the Konan princess.

But why was she alone? Or was she? Could this all be a trick? Possibly the two men they were searching were actually escorting the princess. But no, if that had been the case then they would never have let her interrupt a battle involving him and Kenshin. They would never have stepped into that fight. No, she was quite alone. But why?

He had learned much about Shishio and his household earlier when he was an emissary. Shishio valued his daughter above everything else, so why had he neglected to provide her a suitable escort to flee the palace. She should have been accompanied by a full company of soldiers…..unless, the king thought nobody could be trusted. Also, the city was surrounded and the river was the only course left, whence she could have escaped the city unharmed. But, to send an escort of soldiers would not have been possible without alerting the enemy outside the citadel.

It would have been too much and might have resulted in her capture, which meant that she must have left Kansan on the last day of battle, and she must have left alone so not a single person apart from Shishio and Kamatari knew where she was or where she was headed.

Aoshi glanced at Kenshin who was watching her like a cat who'd been given a saucer full of cream and groaned inwardly. Oh he didn't need this right now. The last thing he wanted was to play chaperone to Kenshin's raging emotions. Come what may, he had to remove the princess from their presence as soon as possible because he couldn't count upon Kenshin not to do something stupid like attempt to seduce her.

She held the water skin to her lips, and gently tipped the contents into her mouth. When her thirst was quenched, she glanced at him and replied, "Likewise."

She held the water skin out to him. He took it. "I wish you hadn't carried through with this charade. Disguising yourself as a man when you are completely alone is not what one would expect of a princess. It could have been extremely dangerous."

She laughed. "What would you have me do? Weep for shelter at your door?"

Kenshin took a step aside and retrieved her hat, with Beshimi's dagger still stuck inside. He remained silent; for now he was content to simply watch her. The fact that he felt incomprehensibly nervous around her had nothing to do with it. No, absolutely not.

Aoshi set his mouth firmly. "You would not have needed to weep. Your safety would have been guaranteed at our camp."

"I see. I don't suppose I am perceived as much of a threat now that my family is scattered, and my father dead." Kenshin didn't miss the strain of acid in her voice as she spoke.

He pulled the dagger out from the hat and held it out to her. Kaoru took it with a little hesitation. "You would not be perceived as a threat even if that were not the case, my lady. Contrary to our reputation, the Kutou army is not an indiscriminate killing machine. We are answerable for our conduct and killing or jeopardizing a lady of royal blood is not part of it." He finished. His tone betrayed the fact that he was miffed at her for suggesting something so base.

Kaoru weighed his words carefully in her mind and looked up at him. His eyes roamed searchingly over her face and shone with a smoldering light. He was not lying; in fact she had no doubt that he was being completely earnest when he said that he meant her no harm.

He did not mean to harm her but it was obvious that his intentions were not entirely honorable either. The smoky haze in his eyes as he stared at her was no less than an insult. She had never been subjected to such a blatant appraisal before. It felt wrong and dirty. She had done nothing to receive this kind of attention from him. She wished that he would stop looking at her. She wished he would lower his eyes.

She not allowed him such overtures, and could not understand the insolence of his manner towards her. The uninhibited appraisal his eyes were subjecting her to, made her feel naked.

"Besides, you have saved my life. My respect for you has just climbed another notch. That you helped me despite the invasion is astonishing." He said softly, his voice as smooth as silk.

Kaoru answered with perfect composure. "I mistook you for someone else. Had I known that you were from Kutou, I definitely would not have taken the trouble."

Kenshin smiled. "All the more reason for me to be happy about it. You managed to help me out against your better judgment."

"I don't intend to persist in this folly." She replied blandly, glaring at him.

"Oh?" He arched a very elegant eyebrow and said with thinly disguised interest, "you intrigue me. What is it that you intend to do then?"

"I have a grievance against you." She replied with equanimity.

Kenshin frowned. "That grievance has been settled." The playful lilt in his voice vanished and he spoke with terseness previously absent in his demeanor.

"But not to a result that I can accept."

"And how do you mean to reach a result that is acceptable to you?"

Kaoru drew a deep breath before answering. Her breath hitched in her throat as the audacity of what she was about to do continued to sink deeper into her mind. She felt a wan tingling in her fingertips. "I will fight you, to right what has happened here this past week."

The smile that had been playing upon his lips died. Kenshin stood perfectly still, not a muscle in his body moved. Aoshi mirrored his cousin's immobility but Beshimi had no qualms in making his thoughts apparent. His jaw fell open and he stared frantically at the girl standing before them. She had seemed to be a sensible person….till now. Challenging the Battousai to a fight? Did she not value her life?

Nobody wanted to fight the prince. Nobody. The only people who fought him were the ones who could not avoid it, because meeting him in a fight meant certain death. He had witnessed Kenshin rip through scores of men within minutes, such was his skill, such was his speed that his blade seemed to be just a trick of the light, he moved so fast that he was reduced to a blur on the battlefield - a fast moving blur with a dash of red trailing after.

Kenshin clenched his teeth. "What?" He asked with incredulity.

Kaoru repeated, "I want to fight you, for my father, my friends and my people."

"You can't be serious." He said cold as ice. "I have fought all I intended to fight in Kansan. And," continued the prince with a flash of anger, "it is not my custom to fight those whom I have taken under my protection."

"I have never considered myself under your protection," Kaoru pointed out. "And you must fight me! You cannot refuse!"

"I must," said the prince crushingly, "do nothing of the sort. You are a young woman, stranded in the woods without an escort, without a guardian and considering the circumstances in which we met, you are now my responsibility."

"I free you of any obligation you feel compelled to follow on my account."

"I will not fight you! And that is the end of the matter," replied Kenshin irritably. "You are a fool to think that I would raise my sword against a woman."

"I may be a woman, but I am your equal," Kaoru retorted. "We are both heirs. You can hardly claim honour as an excuse after the treacherous way in which you attacked Konan."

"That is a separate matter," he said coldly.

"Why? Because it does not suit your argument," interrupted Kaoru with asperity. "Call it what you will, I am determined to pay you back for the turmoil you have unleashed in my life."

"Have you taken leave of your senses," he said hotly, "this is no battlefield, and I refuse to be drawn into a duel with a woman I am in debt of. What is so difficult to comprehend about this?"

"So if I attack you, you will not defend yourself?"

Kenshin bristled. "Princess, I have been told you are a sensible person. Please do not shatter my illusion."

Kaoru said nothing. Flexing her shoulders back she felt the dagger slip an inch down her back. Without another word, she fished the dagger out of the tight bindings around her chest as discreetly as she could. She held the dagger confidently in her hands and met the prince's eyes once more.

"We will fight, whether you like it or not."

Kenshin looked at her in exasperation. "Princess ….. be reasonable. You cannot win against me. And although I have no intention of harming you, I don't know how to fight in a manner that may prevent you injury."

"There is no need to patronize me. I don't expect you to wear kid gloves."

"This is madness. What end do you think you will accomplish by fighting me? Your kingdom is lost. You have no place to go. Come with me to Kutou," he said tenderly, "I will take care of you."

"I don't need your false sympathy, and I certainly don't need you to take care of me!" She replied indignantly.

"What is it that you do need then?" He asked patiently.

"Stop talking and fight me."

"What happens after that?"

"……."

"What do you intend to do once you've fought me?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I reach it." Kaoru said with determination.

"I thought you would be reasonable. Can't you forget this talk of fighting? It doesn't suit you."

"What would you know? You don't even know me."

Kenshin smiled languidly. "I am eager to remedy that as soon as we reach Kutou."

"I refuse to go to Kutou!" Kaoru answered with spirit, eyes flashing.

"Eventually, you will."

Aoshi followed the exchange keenly. This was bad. Something had to be done soon. He had not forgotten the state of distraction that Kenshin had been reduced to when he had first seen the princess; further interaction would lead to a greater risk of Kenshin losing the emotional equilibrium which was responsible for so much of his strength.

He knew that Kenshin would try his damnedest to persuade the princess to accompany him to Kutou. He also knew that Kaoru would oppose and resist this proposal with all her heart. And in between their respective struggle, he would have to find a way to let the princess slip far away from them without alerting Kenshin to his intentions.

There were many reasons why he wanted the Konan princess to leave. Kenshin's obvious infatuation for her was one and Hiko's policy of never taking royal prisoners was another. Hiko Seijurou firmly believed that once the decision to invade a kingdom is taken, all traces of previous rulers should be erased lest the populace try to return to a past when the Lightning Emperor had not been the master of their destiny.

If Kenshin obstinately took Kaoru to Kutou, Hiko Seijurou would be angry, very angry. And there would be hell to pay. Aoshi cursed under his breath. He was stuck in a rotten situation where he couldn't go forward and couldn't go backward. He couldn't support Kenshin, not just because of the consequences Hiko's temper would have but also because he was loath to coerce a woman into doing something that was obviously unacceptable to her. On the other hand, if he protested against taking her to Kutou, he risked putting a rent in his bond with his cousin forever because though it was simpler to say that what Kenshin had developed for Kaoru was little more than an infatuation, in his heart Aoshi knew that something had changed in his cousin since she had entered his life.

Kenshin was not a man to be bothered about niceties usually. His gentle treatment of "Haru" would have surprised Aoshi had the ambush not happened. And it wasn't as though Kaoru was the first beautiful young woman he was coming into contact with. No, Kenshin had never had a dearth of beautiful, charming women to keep him company. As far as he was concerned, beauty was common and nothing to brag about. One pretty face was as good as another.

But Kaoru was different….for him. When he had been in Kansan, he was taken in by her joyful eyes, her free spirit, and her lack of cloistering, coy diffidence. Her eyelashes did not flutter and she did not gaze at him as though he was a god. Instead she looked straight into his eyes and demanded to know why his eyes were a funny color.

And in the forest, she didn't start screaming when the fight grew ugly, but she quietly made a decision and acted upon it with lightning speed. Even now, miles from home and any person who knew her, she held herself together with pride and dignity. What was there not to admire, indeed, what was there not to love about her?

Aoshi looked at Kaoru. Her face betrayed no emotion.

"Never." Kaoru's voice did not waver.

Kenshin frowned. "Why are you being so hardheaded about this?"

Kaoru looked at him incredulously. "You need me to tell you? You ruined my home!"

"I don't recall you having a problem so far."

"That was different. I was in disguise and even so, I just wanted to get away from you but you wouldn't let me!"

"What makes you think I'll let you go now?"

"……."

"If I was loath to let you go when I believed that you were just a monk and nothing more, how can I let you wander off into the wilderness now that I know who you really are?"

"You can't keep me with you against my will."

Kenshin watched her steadily. After what seemed like an hour, he inclined his head. He nodded. "You are right. Keeping you with me against your wishes would be tantamount to abduction."

Kaoru allowed a triumphant smirk to grace her features. She had won this volley of words and was pleased but she was the only one to think so. Aoshi looked sharply at Kenshin. He was not fooled by his cousin's seeming lack of witticism. It was not like him to give up so easily. But what was he up to?

"You wanted to cross swords with me?"

Kaoru watched him warily. "Yes."

"Very well then. Far be it from me to deny a lady. I will fight you."

Aoshi was shocked. He stared at his cousin, not believing what he had just heard. "Kenshin, what are you talking about? You can't fight her! She's …..I mean…she's a ……"

Kenshin didn't bother turning to look at him. "It is only fair Aoshi. It seems that the princess tagged along so far with us only for this purpose. Am I right," he glanced at Kaoru who nodded slowly.

"So, I will fight you."

Aoshi frowned. He strode up to Kenshin and said angrily, "Kenshin, listen to me. You cannot fight a woman."

"She's not just a woman, she is my equal. Don't forget that," he replied icily. He stepped a few paces to the side. He gestured to Kaoru, asking her to join him in the middle of the clearing.

Aoshi watched helplessly as Kaoru crossed him and stood across Kenshin. They were at least twenty paces apart, as far as the clearing would allow.

"Is this alright for you," Kenshin called out to her. She nodded.

"Good, I suppose we should begin," he said. Kaoru waited for him to step into a stance, but he remained rooted to his spot. She rolled her eyes.

"What is it now?"

Kenshin sighed once more. "Princess, to fight just for fighting's sake seems a bit barbaric to me."

"I don't know what you mean. I am fighting for a reason."

"Yes, "he agreed, "you are fighting to avenge your kingdom, but what must I fight for? I have little or no reason to fight you, which debilitates my chances of doing well."

Aoshi crossed his arms over his chest. Kenshin was laying a trap for her, and as far as he knew his cousin, the trap would spring at the opportune moment and Kaoru would have no place to run. He set his lips in a grim line. He did not like this. No, he did not like this, at all.

"I can't help that." She replied doggedly. He was trying to ensnare her with words but she was determined not to give in.

Kenshin sighed dramatically. "I suppose I must find my own reason to comply with this idiocy. Let's make it a little more interesting. If I defeat you Princess, you will come with me to Kutou."

Aoshi felt a muscle twitch near his eyebrow. The smooth talking bastard! He cursed underneath his breath. His bid to get rid of Kaoru just got a little troublesome.

Kaoru blinked. She stared at the man standing in front of her. His purple hued eyes sparkled with mischief and devilish confidence. She frowned. "I am not here to bargain with you. Stop bandying words about and fight, if you have the courage."

Kenshin yawned. He turned and began to walk away. "I don't mind you abusing my courage Princess. It does not affect me."

Kaoru was flummoxed. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"Home," he tossed over his shoulder, "I've had enough of trudging about in forests."

"But we haven't fought yet." She said sullenly, taking a few steps towards his retreating form.

"I'm not interested in a fight where I have no motivation to lift my sword."

"Why you! It doesn't matter if you have the motivation or not. Come back here!"

Kenshin stopped. He turned around to face her once more. His mercurial temper had dipped again and he looked at her sullenly.

"Princess, the only way I will continue to humor this childishness of yours is if you agree to my condition. If not, I'm leaving."

Kaoru bit her lip. She was so close. She would never get another chance to avenge Konan if she let him walk away like this, but….how could she agree to willingly travel to Kutou when she had no intention of doing so? She looked at Aoshi, who stood glowering at his cousin. A wild hope rose in her heart. Perhaps he could intercede and convey the utter inappropriateness of her going to Kutou with them. Why, it would seem as though he had brought her along as spoils of war! How dreadful!

Aoshi noticed the consternation on her face. He took a deep breath and approached Kenshin. Tapping him on the elbow, he softly murmured, "Kenshin, what are you doing? Agreeing to fight her like this is nothing short of blackmail. She's already very troubled. It's obvious she's distraught. Why are you making things worse for her?"

Kenshin took his time to answer. "Because….. I don't want to let her out of my sight. I never thought I'd see her again. And now she's here, right in front of me. I'll be the world's biggest fool if I let her go now Aoshi."

A small glimmer of hope rose in Kaoru's heart as she noticed that Aoshi was quietly saying something to the prince. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could tell by the look of stern disapproval on Aoshi's face that he wasn't happy with the prince's proposition and was trying to get him to change his mind.

"Taking her to Kutou makes no sense. Hiko will never agree to a relationship between you and her. You, of all people should know."

"I know. I know its wrong, I know I'm behaving like a scoundrel by forcing her hand this way …..I can't help it," he looked at Kaoru, who squirmed under the heat of his gaze, "I don't want her to leave."

"Kenshin……don't be an idiot."

"I'm not being an idiot."

He jerked his elbow away from Aoshi and continued to walk away. Kaoru shook her head and slowly took a few steps towards him. Aoshi bent his head.

This is the last thing he wanted to do but there was no fighting it. He couldn't let Kenshin bring her to Kutou. Such a blatant disregard for Hiko's instructions would prove detrimental for him. He couldn't allow it. Aoshi narrowed his eyes. It was a pity really. She was a fine woman. He would hate to kill her. But it was unavoidable.

"_Why can't we simply imprison them Okina," asked Aoshi._

"_Because it makes little economic sense to keep an exiled royal in prison somewhere and provide him or her with the trappings appropriate to their stature, when you can kill them on the battlefield and take the land legitimately. Rulers that survive can fuel uprisings for years. It's not worth the trouble."_

It's not worth the trouble. Aoshi slowly took a step towards Kaoru who was watching Kenshin walk away. It's not worth the trouble.

-

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**Author's Notes**

A long delay later, a new chapter. It's a little shorter than my usual chapter length. The reason for that is that I've been getting mails from lots of people asking me to keep the chapters at a respectable length and not just go off turning them into mammoths.

Well, hope you all enjoy this. If you don't….errr….you can tell me. Read and review please.

Love you all. Muah. 


	15. Decisions

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

An extra special THANK YOU to all the people who emailed me for a faster update on this story. Can't tell you all how much it drove me to get the ball rolling. Thank you! This is for you.

Hope you like this chapter!

Thank you List!

Sexyjess – Saankyu , AutumnsFall, MaraSeti, Luplup, Al, Donna8157 , Ringesttsu, Shadow of the lost, Kikyo10, Vampire Queen Kaoru, Twinbuster, Zethios, Queen Hermy Penguin, ChildlikeEmpress, Supernaturallove, Kenjutsu2Princess, Masami, The Fluffy Muffin Queen, The Only Love for Soujirou Seta, Feve30, Sarah, Quetzalcoatl Mistress, Black lotus blossom, Blossompetals, Midnightblue 123, Iuvenalis, Twinines, Apleeie, Dream Big, Hopeless romantic 121, Tiki-strife, Ixchen, Forever dreaming, Emumoon, Kakashiindrag – Lol, Onhiro, Keniichi, Akiyan, Sweet Miyu, lazyreader, Cutepuff, Whit195, sword_of_heaven, happyloveygirl, Flowergirl, Falkeness, sakura, **skenshingumi**, ELLIE31773, jasmine_blossom625, manga_girl234, Illeterate, antica, reitamoeshi, icy, Kaori-angel, alwyzme, miniwoo, iluvchocs, sulou, Ellav31, Leigh4, EmbersofAmber, flaming-amber, MikaylaMae, rawr, keniichi, kenshinorio, Rosabella, StoryJunky, Lady Madison, cleoclaudia, JadePhoenix, AceRaptor, Gabyhyatt, Impashence

Hope I haven't forgotten anyone…

Oh and everyone, I haven't edited this chapter. Just wrote and read it once more, so if there are weird mistakes, please let me know, I'll correct it and repost. Thanks.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 15: Decisions**

* * *

**Recap**

This was the last thing he wanted to do but there was no fighting it. He couldn't let Kenshin bring her to Kutou. Such a blatant disregard for Hiko's instructions would prove detrimental for him. He couldn't allow it. Aoshi narrowed his eyes. It was a pity really. She was a fine woman. He would hate to kill her. But it was unavoidable.

It's not worth the trouble. Aoshi slowly took a step towards Kaoru who was watching Kenshin walk away. It's not worth the trouble.

**End of Recap**

* * *

Kaoru bit her lip. The prince of Kutou was moving further and further away; if she didn't stop him now, she'd never get another chance. She pursed her lips together and followed him even though she knew that it was definitely a very, very bad idea.

"Wait, listen…don't go any further." She clambered down the side of a small hillock to land dead in front of the prince. Kenshin blinked. He glanced to the right, looking at the tangle of roots and soil she had brought down with her. He looked back at her. She was slightly out of breath and rested her hands on her knees.

Panting, she spoke, "Why….didn't…you…stop? Weren't you…listening?" She looked at him accusingly.

Kenshin smiled. _How very charming_. He had never encountered the possibility of finding something lovely in a woman covered in dirt and a bad temper.

"Well?" Kaoru looked at him pointedly. "I would have thought that you'd have the courtesy to acknowledge my presence. It's the least you could do."

Unconsciously, Kaoru moved closer to him, as though she was emphasizing her point by moving closer to his person. But, what she had intended as a move to intimidate, was construed as an invitation by Kenshin, for whom any contact made by the princess was a signal that his attentions were acceptable, perhaps even desirable to her. Needless to say, it was a big mistake.

Kenshin reached forward to remove a dry leaf out of Kaoru's hair. She stepped away immediately; her eyes narrowed with annoyance. _Why did he keep doing that? _First he stared at her like there was no tomorrow, then he made vulgar insinuations and as if it weren't enough, here he was throwing away even the charade of any propriety by trying to touch her. Unbelievable!

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Is there any reason why you're standing in my way?" His amusement and delight evaporated the minute she retraced her steps and stood (quite properly) a foot away from him.

"You can't leave me like this!" She blurted out. Kenshin arched an eyebrow.

"Leave you like what?"

"I mean, I'm….you can't just walk away without….without_", she fell silent, unable to piece together a sentence that would make him stay and pay for what he'd done to her.

"Yes?"

Kaoru caught his smug expression and seethed. She envisioned herself choking him to death with her bare hands.

A slow but sure smile stretched across Kenshin's features. The realization that taking Kaoru to Kutou with him would be a simple matter after all came to him like a bolt of lightning. Kenshin watched the play of emotions across her face. Why hadn't he thought of this before? She had been thrust into loneliness and chaos ever since the assault on Konan had begun. It was natural that she should direct all her anger at him.

He was the tangible face of the invading Kutou army, which was why she probably wanted to fight. And since, everything that had happened in Konan was his fault (according to her), then he should pay for what he had done, take some responsibility and show that he was repentant. She was reluctant to see him leave before that happened. Her obvious dissatisfaction with the events of the past days had taken precedence over all other priorities in her mind. She wanted to see some punishment inflicted upon him to make it right and if she had to follow him to make sure it happened, she would. The pendulum had swung; he no longer needed to chase her. She would follow him, wherever he went. Her peace of mind was now intrinsically tied to him.

"You can't just leave_"

"You'd be surprised at the things I _can_ do Princess." He slipped past her and continued on his way back to the trail leading to the Kutou army base camp.

Kaoru remained rooted to her spot, staring after him, completely crestfallen.

From a distance, the future leader of the Oniwabanshu watched silently as Kenshin and Kaoru quietly conversed. He had decided what to do; it was only a matter of time before he carried his task out. Aoshi sighed. Despite what Okina had told him, killing did not become easier with time. If anything, he felt that the weight of expedient political assassinations was preying upon his inner calm.

Or maybe it was just this once. He'd had this feeling of disquiet and restlessness since his fight with Kamatari. He was still not entirely certain that the man was dead; part of him hoped he was, and part of him hoped he wasn't. Try as he might, he hadn't been able to exorcise Kamatari from his thoughts.

Kamatari had always been gracious, considerate and might have become a great friend, had the war not broken out. A ninja makes few enemies and fewer friends still. Yet Kamatari's easy wit and ready amiability had won him over. But…in the end, he'd been forced to kill him. If given a choice to go back in the past and fix some things, he might have done things differently. Maybe he would have tried another solution to their problem. A solution where Konan did not have to be invaded….but, who was he trying to fool?

For Hiko Seijurou, Konan was a small, but persistent nuisance. It was a miniscule country sitting on the borders of massive Kutou. Konan had been described as a tiny heaven on earth. It was a land blessed with breathtaking natural splendour but compared to Kutou, it was tiny. Its borders fenced in an area that was less than the smallest province of the Kutou Empire. When the king of a kingdom so small decides to stand up to the Lightning Emperor, a vicious attack and invasion is nothing to be surprised about.

Personally, he felt that a simple dialogue with the Princess would yield far better results for the people of both realms. She was popular with her people and they would trust her judgment. So much could be simplified if only Hiko would budge from his unwieldy position on invasive politics.

But that wasn't the way the world worked. So here he was, lamenting the loss of a man who had once extended a hand of friendship to him and plotting the quickest and quietest way to get rid of his niece. Aoshi sighed. Perhaps giving up his seat in the Imperial Council hadn't been one of his better ideas. But you either became Okashira or sat around in the Council room wearing funny looking hats. He'd chosen the Oniwabanshu and in doing so promised mute and complete obedience to Hiko Seijurou XIII. It was a decision he had never regretted, until today.

Standing a few paces away, Kaoru was immersed in thoughts of her own. Thoughts focussed upon Aoshi. Aoshi Shinomori was not the arrogant, selfish idiot she had unjustly labelled him. He seemed reasonable. She didn't doubt that her only chance to make any sense out of this peculiar situation was rooted in getting Aoshi to help her….somehow. Although she trusted him….a little….she didn't doubt where his loyalty lay. And loyalty demanded that he do anything for his prince, even if it seemed wrong and unacceptable to him. But, looking at him, it was impossible to imagine that he would ignore her plight as callously as the Kutou prince had. While they may both be scheming and manipulative, Aoshi's intrinsic nobility shone through his words, while Kenshin's words did nothing to mask his ruthless, invasive persona.

The air suddenly felt heavy, burdened with reluctance, intent and a fearful determination. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose, sending miniscule pinpricks into her skin.

She turned and froze. Aoshi stood in front of her. His eyes, cold and steely, narrowed dangerously. He seemed to look at her yet did not see her. The tingling hiss of metal sent a chill down her spine. Slowly, very slowly, he raised his right arm. The light of the fading sun caught on the blade and ran down the length of his sword. He held the sword up between them and stepped forward.

Kaoru swallowed. So much for trust.

She felt her lips move, perhaps she had spoken but she wasn't sure. A soft mumble that she recognised as her voice escaped her mouth but she didn't understand what it was. Here she was, hoping to get help from a man who stood before her with every intention of killing her. How on earth did she get into situations like this?

Aoshi clutched the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white with the strain. _It's alright. If you cut across her neck now, she'll be dead within fifteen seconds_. _Don't hesitate. This solves all our problems. No living princess to explain to Hiko, and no woman to muddle with Kenshin's mind. Even she will be better off dead_.

He stepped closer and held the blade to her neck. Kaoru inhaled deeply and waited for the steel to cut her throat. Perhaps it was best this way. This was not so bad after all. It released her…..from the pain, the anger…. the bone crushing loneliness. Kaoru shut her eyes, trying to focus upon the sounds of the forest even as blood pounded in her ears and her heart raced. The faces of her family swam underneath her eyelids.

The frigid cold of the sword seemed to seep into her throat, where it stuck like a bad dream. She opened her eyes once more and looked at Aoshi. Her breath dragged and she swallowed. He looked at her, frowned and strengthened his grip on the sword which had strangely begun to quiver. As Aoshi pressed the blade tighter against her neck, Kaoru shut her eyes.

Aoshi could feel drops of sweat swell and drip down his cheek. All he had to do was plunge the blade in a little deeper. He didn't even need to slice her neck all the way through. He could pretty much let her bleed to death here, alone. Just like Kamatari had died….alone, under a mountain of rubble. He felt a facial muscle twitch. Why did he have to think of that right now? He stared at the ground, his head bowed by the weight of his orders.

Aoshi forced himself to look up once again. Okina had told him that the Oniwabanshu was distinguished within the ranks of ninja armies cutting across borders and kingdoms, because of the dignity they gave their enemies in life and death. 'When you are about to kill someone, do them the courtesy of looking them in the eye', 'Don't kill like a common thug on the street', 'Honor those you are about to dispatch to Death's door'. Yes, he remembered all his lessons. The trouble was that no matter which way he looked at it, killing a young girl just because she might become a threat in the unforeseeable future seemed like something a common thug would do. How could he call himself better than a thug then?

The breeze played with Kaoru's hair and sent it flying. Locks of her hair flapped against her cheeks. Her teeth dug ridges into lips as she bit them again and again. Aoshi swallowed. What had she seen of life? Compared to him, she was a child, a child who had been ripped out of her home, forced to hide and run. When he had first seen her at court, her skin glowed with a rosy hue and her eyes sparkled. And now…now she seemed just a shadow of her former self. Oh, she was still beautiful. Even now, with her skin pale, with shadows under her eyes, with hair hanging limp, even now she looked like something that belonged in an ancient ballad. His hand shook. He hung his head. He couldn't…..simply couldn't kill her. He lowered his sword. He felt the tension in his veins dissipate as soon as he stepped away from Kaoru.

The silence of the forest was punctuated by the faint whirring of cicadas and the rustle of the wind in the trees. Kaoru listened to all these sounds and thought that she'd miss them. She waited for the sharp blow that would remove her head from her body but it never came. She didn't know what was worse, waiting to die or dying in the first place. Had Aoshi changed his mind about killing her? Or was he simply toying with her? But why would he? He didn't seem like the sort of person who would derive any pleasure from tormenting her but, she'd been wrong about him before.

Who could tell what was going on in his head?

Kaoru opened her eyes and looked around. Aoshi had stepped away and seemed almost as surprised as she was. He noticed the thin ribbon of blood snaking down her neck and flinched. He looked away and swiftly sheathed his sword then turned his attention to the trail leading to the base camp of the Kutou army. He looked so preoccupied with his own thoughts that she might have quietly walked away and he would not have noticed, perhaps. He'd forgotten all about killing her, but Beshimi was not one to forget so easily.

He had watched in shock and complete surprise as the future Okashira removed his sword and stepped away from their captive. Unable to contain his befuddlement, he marched over to Aoshi and asked, "My lord, why did you stop?"

Aoshi looked up and caught Kaoru's eye. He held her gaze as Beshimi watched both of them impatiently, burning to find out why this nasty girl was still alive. Aoshi glanced at him absently and murmured, "Be quiet Beshimi. I'm thinking."

Beshimi blinked, but held his peace. He was already in disgrace and didn't want to aggravate his leader any further. But he scowled at Kaoru, who ignored him. She was more interested in what Aoshi had to say.

Aoshi thought fast. He didn't have much time. Sooner or later Kenshin would realize that neither of them had followed him and he would be back to find out what happened. He had to make sure that the princess was on her way before Kenshin returned. And he had to do all of this secretly. Beshimi needed to go. He had to think of an excuse to send him away without rousing any suspicion of what he planned to do. He lifted his head regally, smoothly slipping into the role of Oniwabanshu leader.

"Beshimi, the prince is walking back to base camp. He is alone. Go guard him."

Beshimi hesitated, but only for a second. He was not about to show any reluctance to follow his leader's orders. He bowed and disappeared into the trees, leaping from branch to branch. He pulled all his energy into reaching the prince as soon as possible and spared no thought to why Aoshi had remained behind, why was he needed to guard the prince when he hadn't been able to avoid defeat at the hands of a woman untrained in secret martial arts or why the prince who was notoriously named 'Battousai' needed protection at all?

With Beshimi safely out of sight, Aoshi whisked around, grabbed Kaoru's wrist and pulled her off the trail and into deep forest. Kaoru, for once, remained silent, waiting for what came next, instead of shooting off ten questions a second.

"Alright", he said finally, nervously looking over his shoulder, "we don't have much time. Kenshin will be on his way back as soon as Beshimi gets to him. Now listen very carefully. You have to run, get away from here, as fast as you can….just run."

Kaoru's heart sank. She looked at him dejectedly. "Run? But I thought you would help me Aoshi."

"That is what I'm trying to do." Aoshi glanced around. He really hoped that Kenshin hadn't felt his ki earlier. "You need to get away from here as fast as you can. Just go!"

"But, why? And where should I go?"

"Anywhere! Just go some place where he can't find you."

"It's not the easiest thing to do. Have you taken a look around this forest? It's a like a maze. Everything looks the same. Last time I was alone, I wanted to find someone else, and ended up getting stuck with you!"

Aoshi swore under his breath. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he shook her slightly. "Don't you understand what will happen if you don't go?" Kaoru stared at him indignantly.

Aoshi repeated, "Do you realize what this is all about? He will take you to Kutou and I will be forced to kill you, which I do not want to do, at all. Do you understand?"

Kaoru tried to shake him off. "No, I don't. And why will you have to kill me?"

"Because", he began impatiently, "my emperor doesn't believe in keeping royal prisoners. If you come to Kutou, you will be sentenced to death."

A brief flash of pain coursed across her features and she smiled wryly. "Lord Aoshi, if that is the case, orders to kill me will apply here as much as in Kutou, so why haven't you killed me yet?"

Aoshi's eyes grew wide. The sudden memory of Kamatari asking for death rose in Aoshi's mind. He wanted to be rid of him. He wanted to able to sleep one night without the guilt gnawing him within. Perhaps, by letting Kaoru go, by saving her…from both Hiko and Kenshin, the guilt of killing Kamatari would dissipate.

He would do for Kaoru what he hadn't been able to do for Kamatari. "I don't want to kill you and I don't want to see you killed by someone else either. I just want you to leave, so that you will be safe."

"How chivalrous. I'm touched." She replied flippantly. However, all traces of frivolity disappeared when she looked into Aoshi's eyes.

Aoshi took a deep breath. "You don't understand the gravity of your circumstances. I'm telling you that you have to run! If Kenshin returns and finds you here, then…" Aoshi froze. The look in Kaoru's eyes confirmed what his instincts had told him already. He pulled his hands away from Kaoru, as though he'd been burned and slowly turned around to find a very angry Kenshin glaring at him.

"Kenshin….."

Kenshin ambled forward. Nothing in his movement suggested that he was upset or even affected by the scene presented to him merely seconds ago.

"I'm a little puzzled Aoshi but, it's nothing that can't be explained, isn't it?" His eyes seemed alight with fire.

Aoshi was silent. Behind him, Kaoru watched the subtle play of power between the two men. Even though Aoshi was about as expressive as a stone, she could practically feel him cringe inwardly. His discomfort and anxiousness was palpable. As for Kenshin, he had left the amiable and somewhat gentle cousin behind and easily slipped into the lethal mould of the prince of Kutou. The change was not lost on Aoshi. Kenshin was angry. The last thing Aoshi wanted.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru, who moved behind Aoshi instinctively. The fire that had been simmering in Kenshin's eyes blazed with sudden fury. Aoshi swore under his breath. Wonderful, just wonderful. The only thing he needed right now to make things worse was for Kenshin to think that he was somehow trying to make a play for Kaoru's affections. Kaoru was not helping either of them by showing Kenshin that she didn't trust him as much as she trusted Aoshi. The last thing he needed was for Kenshin to think he was a threat.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Well? Are you going to say anything or am I expected to magically read your mind?"

"We were just following…." Aoshi replied confidently.

"Were you?" Kenshin cut in. "I thought you were instructing the lady to escape, or was that the wind playing with my ears?"

Aoshi smiled weakly. "Why would I tell her to escape? That's ridiculous."

Kenshin looked unconvinced. "So you didn't tell her to run?"

Aoshi met his cousin's eyes squarely. "Why are you questioning me like I'm trying to steal something from you?"

Kenshin smirked. "You wouldn't do something so stupid." He sent a piercing glance in Kaoru's direction. "So, why don't you tell me what is really going on?"

"Kenshin, I was thinking …. maybe it's not such a great idea to ask the princess to accompany us to Kutou. You know Hiko won't like it." Aoshi appealed quietly. Kenshin smiled confidently.

"I don't think he'll mind." He looked appraisingly at Aoshi, as though challenging him to persist.

Aoshi frowned. "I meant that it might be dangerous for her. And there will be little we can do to help her then."

Kenshin laughed mirthlessly. "Do you really think I would let anything happen to her?"

Kenshin cast a glance sidelong at Kaoru who was looking at Aoshi. There was nothing to be jealous about yet he couldn't help but burn. Aoshi had obviously told her that she should leave and by the look of things, it was obvious that she trusted what he said. There was no other reason for her to let Aoshi to answer for her. He could really kill Aoshi right now. Why did he have to interfere in everything? Couldn't he just let things alone?

Kaoru stared at her feet and went back to ten thoughts a second; she wondered how this argument was going to end, what it would mean for her, whether she'd made a mistake in asking for help from Aoshi, when she was going to be rid of the prince who seemed hell bent on taking her along as a prize. Honestly, what was his problem? Each time he looked at her, her face burned with embarrassment and she didn't know where to look, where to go hide.

"You would be hard pressed to stop anything from happening to her if it was what Hiko wanted to do."

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "You know better than that Aoshi." He stepped closer to his cousin and hissed, "Why are you acting like this?"

Aoshi bit his lip. "You've left me no choice. If I let you take her to Kutou, Hiko will have her killed, by me or someone else."

Kenshin looked away in irritation. "I assure you Aoshi. Hiko may or may not want her killed once I'm through talking to him, but if you don't stop being a nuisance right now, I _will_ kill you. Do you understand?"

"Stop it!" Kaoru stepped out from behind Aoshi and faced Kenshin. The argument had broken her out of her shell. It was as though she'd remembered her dislike for the prince out of the blue and got her tongue back.

She stood in front of Aoshi blocking Kenshin's path. Kaoru looked at Kenshin in disbelief. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're just unbelievable! What is your problem? You can't just go around threatening people as and when you please! Is this your way of feeling powerful? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

Kenshin blinked. Aoshi let his jaw drop. He was hallucinating, wasn't he? He was hearing things. The forest and the heat were playing games with his mind. She hadn't just told the Battousai to stop threatening people had she? No, that was not possible. Nobody told Kenshin what to do except Hiko. And Kaoru certainly wasn't Hiko. No, Aoshi thought, but she could be just as scary.

Kaoru glared at them both. With an angry huff, she fixed her hat on her head once more and wrapped the cloak tightly around her body. As she picked up her staff, she looked at them and spoke, "I'll be leaving now. Unlike you, I don't have time to waste."

Kenshin watched her as she turned to leave.

"Fine," he drawled as though he were bored of the conversation, "the city squares will be too crowded anyway, but things will get better within a fortnight." He turned around, ready to play his master stroke. "Almost all the prisoners will be taken care of by then."

Kaoru froze. She stood still and silent as a statue. "What prisoners?"

Kenshin looked at Aoshi, silently mocking him for trying to act the hero. "We just concluded a war. Which prisoners do you think I'm speaking of?"

Kaoru stepped closer to him. "You can't be serious." She wasn't very scared because she knew that most of their people had gotten away thanks to Katsu and his squad. But even so, she knew that despite all their efforts, some people had still been captured by the invading Kutou army. She had seen a makeshift prison in the Kutou camp, with at least a hundred men chained in irons. But numbers didn't matter to her. Even if one person from her kingdom was imprisoned by Kutou soldiers, it was a personal loss to her.

Kenshin smirked. "Weren't you leaving?"

"What will you do to them?" Kaoru answered uncertainly.

Kenshin drew a swift breath. "Are you still here Princess? I thought you didn't have time to waste."

"Just tell me what you're going to do with them!" Kaoru replied angrily, stabbing her staff into the ground. Kenshin raised his chin slightly, enjoying her discomfort.

"Prisoners of war….some are kept, some are sold and a few difficult ones are sent to prison. And with nobody to speak for them….well, sometimes we just kill them to save time."

Kaoru felt an unexpected pain in her eyes, and then realized that the lump in her throat was responsible for it.

"What about the women and children?" She whispered. Part of her did not want to hear the answer but she knew that there would be no peace for her until she heard the answer.

Aoshi looked away. Kenshin looked at Kaoru and spoke steadily. "Don't worry Princess, women and children are not treated too badly. The children are given homes and brought up as our own. As for the women, well….they too find some trade or the other. Nobody starves in Kutou." He looked smug. Kaoru took a deep breath before speaking.

At first, she had felt like she was drowning in anger as he spoke. His words stung like poison in her ears. She had never been inclined towards violent methods but at present, all she could think of was to hit him hard, so hard that that smirk disappeared off his face forever. But she didn't do anything. She just stood like a stone, stunned at his words, amazed that someone could be so insensitive to the plight of people who had lost everything in the war.

"Does it give you pleasure…to hurt people? Maybe you enjoy the fact that you have these people in your power. You can kill them off when you please. And it's a small thing for you, isn't it? Kill them to save time. What…just what are you trying to say to me?"

Kaoru bit her lip. She had never felt so incensed. Her biggest problem with him was his lack of respect for anything. He had no regard for the people he had captured. They were just things for him. And so was she. He wanted to take her along to Kutou to show her off. She'd be the beautiful toy he got as a reward for the siege of Konan; something to play with until he got bored and rode off to the next war. He didn't care whether the people he had caught lived or died. They weren't people for him, they were only numbers.

His insensitivity let him do and say all these terrible things. Even the way he kept sizing her up reflected his attitude. But, somehow, her anger refused to show. She felt small and alone. She was overwhelmed by the struggle that lay in front of her. She had to go to Kutou now; she couldn't ignore the plight of her countrymen so easily. She had to leave the search for Okita and Soujirou immediately. They could look after each other but the people who were without any support, any voice in Kutou needed her more.

She looked at Kenshin. She would go to Kutou and see just how they killed anyone. She would bring them hell if any Konan citizen received less than appropriate treatment from them.

"And these are people; these are my people you're talking about. They aren't cattle that have to be disposed of!" Her fists shook and she quivered with anger. "And one more thing," she looked straight at him, "they didn't have anyone to speak for them before, but not anymore. I will speak for them. You will have me to answer to."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Really? You will speak for them?"

Kaoru stared back at him icily. "Yes."

Kenshin nodded slowly. "And how do you intend to do that?"

"What do you mean? They are my people and I will fight for their rights."

Kenshin laughed softly. "First of all, they don't have any rights; they're prisoners. And secondly, neither do you, for that matter. So how are you going to fight us on their behalf?"

"I'm responsible for them. I'll think of a way out." She replied hotly.

"You used to be. You're not anymore."

"These are my people. I am and forever will be responsible for them because I am their princess."

"Granted, but you have no authority and no title in Kutou. As far as we're concerned, you're just another Konan citizen. Of course, since you are a royal person, you would be a somewhat glorified prisoner but a prisoner nonetheless." Kenshin shook his head. "You can't just walk into Kutou and start demanding prisoners' rights. You need to seek the Emperor's permission for that."

"Fine! I don't care. I'll ask for permission from your Emperor!"

"The Emperor is very busy person. He doesn't grant an audience that readily. People wait to see him for months on end, sometimes even years."

"He will see me." She replied very confidently.

Kenshin's eyes glowed and he replied, "What makes you so sure?"

"There must be something in me that's keeping you from turning around and going back to your camp right now. I'm certain that your Emperor will see it too and he will ask to see me before I spend a week in Kutou. "

There were a few moments of silence. The prince seemed stunned. Kaoru was the very image of determination. It made an interesting scene.

Aoshi wondered if Kaoru realized how much the two complemented each other. She had an answer to everything Kenshin had to say and she didn't seem any less than him. It was amazing how well suited they were to each other….but it would be a long and rough road before either of them figured that out.

Kenshin laughed. "I can imagine he would." The hue of violet in his eyes seemed to radiate as he looked admiringly at Kaoru. "You don't give up. I admire that."

Kaoru chose to ignore the remark and merely stated, "I will come with you to Kutou. What's the shortest route?"

Aoshi sighed and shook his head slightly. Kenshin turned to lead the way back. Kaoru stared at the ground before following him. As she passed Aoshi, he gripped her elbow and shook his head firmly, as though he were telling her to change her mind once more. Kaoru smiled sadly and patted his hand. Pulling away from him, she followed Kenshin through the forest.

* * *

Enishi winced. The responsibility of managing the entire camp was new to him. He wasn't prepared for the mental and physical drain inflicted by the hundreds of small things to be taken care of or overseen. He had fallen into his bed and gone to sleep instantly. As the sound of men calling out to each other reached him, he wearily opened his eyes and looked around. The daylight had died away. The yellow light of fire torches mounted everywhere filtered through the thick canvas that made his tent.

_Kenshin must be back_. Enishi stirred and slid out of bed. If Kenshin was back, he would want to a report. _I wonder if he caught them_.

A small mirror was tucked behind once of the structure poles of the tent. A basin of clean water covered with cloth stood upon a high stool just under it. Enishi dipped his hands into the water and splashed his face. As he looked into the mirror, he could see visible signs of fatigue. He swore under his breath, straightened his clothes and walked out of the tent to see what the fuss was all about.

Kenshin stood next to his stallion, stroking the horse's neck lovingly. Aoshi held the reins of his horse out to a soldier who promptly grabbed them and led the horse away. The monk stood behind them. Enishi watched in amazement as both Aoshi and the monk followed Kenshin into his tent. _How strange_.

* * *

Aoshi was puzzled. "Why do you want a woman's robe? Surely you don't intend to reveal your identity just yet?"

Kenshin looked at Kaoru, who nodded. "I'm not going to enter Kutou disguised as something I'm not. I'm not afraid of going there, so why should I hide?"

Aoshi pursed his lips and glared at Kenshin, who was busy cleaning the sheath of a sword he had brought back from Kansan palace. "Yes but, it won't look nice."

Kaoru blinked. "What won't look nice? I have lost my family, my kingdom and the man I loved in this war. Do you really think I care about appearances?"

Kenshin's hands froze on the sword he was holding. The mere mention of Okita and what he still meant to Kaoru plunged his senses into another quagmire of emotion. The dark shadow of jealousy covered his face. He dug his fingernails tightly into his palm. To hear his name from her, to know what she felt for him still twisted a knife in his heart. _Why doesn't she worry about her own troubles?_

Aoshi kept silent but the deep frown on his face said it all. He wasn't happy. She didn't know what she was getting into. If they entered Kutou like this, the news that the prince had brought home a woman would spread like wild fire. It was attention that neither of them needed. Kaoru would be put under scrutiny by the court and Council even before she made any case for the Konan prisoners. Everything she said would be taken in the light that she was a woman whom the prince was interested in. And he had no doubt that Kenshin would try every trick he knew to woo her. She didn't need any of it. She could simply walk out of camp, quickly and quietly and disappear into the forest. Problem solved.

Kaoru watched Aoshi silently. It was slightly endearing that he was working himself into worry for her. He obviously thought she was just a child who knew nothing. That wasn't true though. It was true that she was known for her carefree attitude, her mischievousness, and short temper but that was just one of her faces. She could solemn and serious when the situation called for it. In order to be happy, you needed to be a different person at different times. She was a princess, a daughter, a sister, a friend and beloved to different people. She didn't behave the same with all of them because her relationships with them demanded something else.

She could be a spoilt child with Da and Kamatari because they adored her unconditionally. She was Kamatari's baby, now that he was gone, she wouldn't act that way around anyone. Soujirou was an anchor who never swayed. He would smile away her fears and tell her he would always be with her, but now he wasn't. Okita…Okita was the man she loved. He was stood for everything that she admired. Noble, courageous and fearless, he was the kindest person she knew. Her innocent love for him had not died; it thrived. All the people she had loved were with her even today. They would give her the strength to deal with the future. She wasn't afraid.

Kaoru turned away and was about to leave when she noticed the sword Kenshin was holding for the first time. Her eyes grew wide as she recognised it. As if she could forget the sword she had seen by her father's side every day that she had lived.

She stood with a start. Kenshin went about cleaning the sheath of the sword calmly. Kaoru felt her eyes sting as she quickly took four steps towards Kenshin and was about to snatch the sword away from him, when he stood and calmly took a step back. Kaoru watched him in disbelief. How did he do that…he was here a second ago?

"This is my father's sword!" She pointed at it.

Kenshin looked at the sword then back at her. "Yes, I am aware of that."

"What are you doing with my father's sword? Did…did you steal it? Have you no respect!" Her eyes were bright with moisture.

He glanced at Aoshi, who looked worried. "He asked me to take it," Kenshin replied quietly.

Kaoru stared at him. "Why would he do that? He loved this sword! It was like a part of him."

Kenshin bent his head. "Perhaps that is why he wanted me to have it."

"That's ridiculous! You destroyed everything he loved. He would never….." her v€oice died away. Kenshin looked at her with concern. She stood completely still, staring into space. She remembered. Da had once told her that although he was proud of the fact that nobody had once defeated him in battle, he was waiting for somebody who might, someone who was his equal.

"_Someday, if someone manages to defeat me in battle, I will give him this sword."_

"_I don't understand Da. Why?"_

"_To be defeated or killed by someone who has surpassed my skill will be an honourable death." He laughed at Kaoru's expression. "I don't mean that I'm going to hold a tournament for that. Just, if in battle someday, I get bested by a better swordsman, I would acknowledge his skill by giving him my sword."_

Kaoru swallowed. Numbed by pain once more, she stared at the carved wood sheath longingly. Da had wanted Kenshin to have this sword but she couldn't get herself to accept that. Kenshin had….he had killed her father. This sword was perhaps the only thing left that was still connected to him; she couldn't let Kenshin take it away from her. She needed this. He couldn't have it, he just couldn't. She would take it back.

Kenshin waited for her to say something. He knew it wasn't easy to accept that her father had formed a bond with the man who invaded his kingdom and took his life. It was harder for her because she didn't understand that giving away his sword was not an act of defeat but an act of love, almost. It was hard to explain, but Shishio had enjoyed fighting him. Giving away his sword was his way of appreciating his opponent's skill.

"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked. Seeing her like this hurt. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better. He knew that. The only thing he could do was to make her think of something else.

"No." The tortured expression on her face lingered with him even after she had left. Kenshin remained rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do or say. Aoshi stood and quietly left the tent.

Kaoru quickly made her way to the tent she had been given this time. Last time she had been here, she had been forced to stay in Kenshin's tent. But she had no reason to do so now. Aoshi had arranged for a cosy little tent to be erected for her. It stood next to the prince's tent. She went inside and pulled the door flap down immediately. She pulled her hat off her head. Her hair fell around her face in messy clumps. She pulled at one lock of hair and crinkled her nose. She looked around and found a basin of water with a mirror propped up against a pole. First, she needed to clean up a little, and then she would think about getting the sword back.

As she looked into the mirror, she cringed. She was a mess. There was dirt on her face and in her hair. Her clothes were all dusty. Scratches and small bruises covered her arms. She splashed her face with water, rubbing off the dust. By the time she was finished cleaning her face, there was no more water. She swore. This was all the water she had and she couldn't go about asking people for more. She pursed her lips. No, she would have to make do until she reached Kutou. At least she wasn't stinking.

Kaoru sighed. Roughing it out in the woods wasn't easy. She didn't mind the cuts and bruises but the fact that she hadn't bathed for three days disgusted her. She shook her head. It didn't matter. Besides, she wasn't trying to impress anyone. It was just as well that she looked like a frump, maybe it would stop that stupid prince from ogling at her.

She pushed thoughts of Kenshin out of her mind. It was more important to get Da's sword back. But how? She could ask Kenshin to give it back but somehow she knew he wouldn't give it to her so easily. She paced the floor, wringing her hands, searching for a way to get it back.

"There's nothing else to be done. I'll have to steal it and hide it…..in my monk clothes." She nodded. Yes, that would be perfect. She could hide the sword in the cloak. She had already asked for a dress. Nobody would suspect anything. She covered her face with her hands. It would have to be at night. Right now there were too may people walking about and it would be impossible to steal anything from Kenshin while he was awake. But, at night, while he was fast asleep, he would not realize what was going on.

As she planned the theft quickly in her mind, her confidence soared and she was sure that she could easily pull this off.

* * *

She was riding with Okita, racing him through the forest. Gradually, he fell behind and disappeared. Furious winds rolled around her and pulled her off her horse. She rolled along the ground and fell off the edge of a cliff. As she fell, the faces of her loved ones appeared one by one around her, as soon as she stretched a hand to touch them, they vanished.

She was falling faster and faster into a black abyss. Suddenly, a hand pulled her up. She tried to turn but couldn't. She was pulled into a strong embrace. The warmth of the person holding her washed into her body. She smiled and pulled him closer. They flew up out of the abyss into the light. As the light grew brighter, her eyes stung and closed. When they reached the top, she felt him land on the ground, still holding her close. Cool fingers held a cup of water to her lips. Slowly, hesitantly, her eyelids fluttered open. She blinked. Suddenly conscious of how tight she held her protector, she began to pull herself out of his arms. As she lifted her chin off his shoulder, crimson strands of hair fell forward. Her eyes grew wide as violet eyes searched her for injuries. As she opened her lips to protest his closeness, he smiled, her knees went weak and she shuddered as his lips descended on hers.

NO!

Kaoru woke with a start. She sat up and quickly looked around. Panting softly, she relaxed as familiar objects around her tent reassured her that she was safe and alone. It was a horrible dream. How did that enter her dreams? Kaoru wiped her lips clean over and over again. Why did he have to invade her dreams as well? She couldn't escape him during the day but did she have to tolerate his presence in her sleep as well? Disgusted with her mind for bringing him into her dreams, she threw off the sheet and stood.

It was time anyway.

She picked up the dagger. Sliding it out of the sheath, she ran a finger along the blade. Crimson red drops gushed out of her skin. She smiled. She licked the blood off her finger, tucked the dagger into her belt and tiptoed out of the tent. There was no soldier outside her tent. Luck, it seemed, was on her side.

Her smile grew wider as she reached Kenshin's tent. No soldiers here either. The prince was emphatic in his refusal to post soldiers outside his tents for protection. His reputation was enough to deter anyone who wanted to attack him. So, there were no guards, or soldiers for yards around his tent. He allowed them around during the day as they often accompanied the people who visited him.

Kaoru looked around once. Sentries were walking around at regular intervals but they were too far to see her, especially in the dark. She quickly slipped inside. Her feet sunk into the rich carpets thrown about. There was just a candle burning, near the prince's futon. She pulled a face. It would be hard to look for the sword in such poor light.

She began her search in the chests nearby. Nothing. On the sword stands further. Nothing. On the low table cluttered with maps. Not a trace. Kaoru groaned in annoyance. There was no place left. She stopped. What if he kept it by his side? Da used to, so did Soujirou. Most swordsman kept their swords near at hand, at all times. Wouldn't Kenshin do the same?

With soft steps, Kaoru walked across the tent to Kenshin's futon. She sat down and looked along his right. No sword…well there was a katana there, but it wasn't her father's. As she shifted her weight to peer along his left, she wobbled. Her heart leaped into her mouth and she shot a glance upwards. But Kenshin didn't even stir. He lay peacefully. Kaoru let out a slow breath of relief.

_Where is that sword?_ She looked at Kenshin accusingly. He lay still, fast asleep, without a care in the world. His chest was bare and his torso still covered with bandages. Strips of cloth covered in balm covered his right arm. She looked away quickly but not before her face was red. He was….simply put….beautiful. She couldn't deny that, even though he was a bit of a scoundrel.

Kaoru swallowed. _Why was her mind wandering about like this? _There was no room for her to crawl to see what was on the left. A chest sat heavily on his left. He was sleeping right next to it. She bit her lip. Could she look without disturbing him? Perhaps. Very quietly, Kaoru planted her hands firmly at his side. Glancing at him, she slowly bent over to look. The sword was here! She looked at Kenshin once more, but he was still asleep. Biting her lip in nervousness, she alternated between stretching her hand out towards the sword and glancing at Kenshin to make sure he was still asleep. She grasped the sword tightly with her fingers.

She was about to edge away when cold fingers grasped her wrist tightly. She gasped and dropped the sword. Her first instinct was to back away but instead, she moved back to rest on her haunches for a split second before drawing her dagger out. Kenshin tightened his grip on her wrist and pulled her up.

The light of the candle flickered uncertainly. Its soft light shone harshly on the blade of the dagger that was resting on Kenshin's neck. Kaoru held the dagger stiffly. She refused to look down into Kenshin's eyes.

"Well, go ahead. What are you waiting for?" Kenshin's voice floated up. Against her better judgment, she looked at him. His eyes were serene. There was no reproach, no sting in his voice. She was puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said. Go ahead and get it over with." His eyes swooped down to indicate the dagger. "You won't get another chance."

Kaoru stared at him as though he'd lost his mind. "What? Are you insane? I'm not going to kill you! Especially not like this!"

"That's sweet. But you might want to think it over. I'm not usually so accommodating."

"I know that. But I didn't come here to kill you."

"Really? So you sneak into my tent at night, dagger in hand…for what? I trust it wasn't just to see how I was doing."

Kaoru bristled. She dug the dagger in a little deeper. "I am not a killer."

Kenshin smiled dangerously. "I wouldn't mind being killed by you. The idea is oddly….arousing."

_He didn't just say that. Oh heavens, he didn't_. Kaoru felt a strange heat rush all over her body. The tips of her ears and nose turned red. The evil, insinuating bastard! All of a sudden, she became conscious of the way her body was positioned over his. She struggled to sit up but Kenshin didn't let her. He held her by both shoulders and rolled over, pinning her down.

The dagger slipped to the floor. Kaoru reached out to pick it up once more. As her fingers closed around the hilt, Kenshin pried it out of her grasp and flung it away. Kaoru swung a fist at him. He dodged and caught her wrists.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Princess, you forget. I am not Beshimi."

Kaoru wanted to scream with anger. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. She would scratch his eyes out if she could, if she had even half the chance.

"Let go!" She shook her wrists to no avail. Kenshin simply smiled.

"No."

"Get off me!" Kaoru squirmed and heaved, moving from side to side, trying to get him to loosen his hold on her wrists. If he was bothered by any of her tactics, he didn't show it.

"Are you done?" Kenshin asked sarcastically.

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Right now, there's not much you can do to stop me."

Kaoru glared at him. "I am warning you. If you don't let me go right now, I will scream."

Kenshin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, will you? Dear me, I really hadn't thought of that before. But now that you mention it, I am terrified." He laughed.

"Don't laugh at me."

"You're right" he replied silkily. "There are better things I could do."

"Don't touch me."

Kenshin tilted his head. "You know Princess, I'm not the one who came to you. You came to me, with a dagger no less. I think I'm well within my rights here."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide and she renewed her efforts at breaking out of his hold.

He suddenly bent his head and buried his nose in her neck. As his lips brushed against her neck, she shuddered. He laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to find out something I wanted to know since the day I saw you – I want to know how you taste."

He let her wrists go. Quivering with fear, she pushed against his chest with all her might. She was hitting him with her fists when she felt his lips press against the soft skin under her ear. She stopped for a second then began to hit him with renewed vigour. The harder she hit him, the harder his lips dug into her. Suddenly, he let go.

Smiling, he looked at her. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. Kenshin laughed. He bent his head and whispered into her ear, "You taste salty." This time when she pushed him, he moved aside. Kaoru scrambled to her feet and began to run away, when he caught her wrist and stopped her.

"Don't you want your father's sword, Princess?"

Kaoru angrily pulled her hand away and left. Kenshin laughed as he watched her stomp off in anger.

"Salty…..how very interesting."

**Author's Note**

Hello people,

I know it's been more than a year since I updated so you are all well within your rights to lob me with a roller pin. On a happier note, My daughter is going to be five months old soon. She is a big reason why I updated so late. She's too much fun to be around, so when I'm with her, I forget everything, even myself.

But, I don't want to leave you guys in the lurch, so I will try to post faster, and if the length of the chapters is a bit reduced, please don't mind.

Right, reviews please. I've written after a long time, if its nonsense, let me know.

Love you all.

krystalMage


	16. Damsels, Knaves and Knights

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

* * *

Around ten chapters ago, I gave a sort of table mentioning the age of the characters. Once more for everyone, age of characters:

Kenshin – 24

Kaoru – 18

Aoshi – 26

Sanosuke – 22

Megumi – 24

Soujirou – 18

Misao – 16

Okita – 24

Enishi – 20

* * *

J. Luc Pitard – This is going to be a long story. I see at least ten chapters more. Yay!

Nma5 – Yes, venturing into the unknown is scary. And it is scarier for Kaoru since her captor misses no opportunity to hit on her. Misao will be back also although to be honest, the way I've set my story going, it will be very hard to realistically portray an Aoshi/Misao pairing.

Kenjutsu2princess – We al love a mischievous Kenshin don't we? Doesn't get any better than that. Kaoru's love for Okita is the major hurdle between these two but hey, I'm working on it.

Thank you all very much for reviewing and writing your thoughts on the story to me: tsunami1156, SnowCharms, joyce21, Rai, brit02, Kimi-chan, chiyoko,TorehimeSama, Aoki Aya, kokoronagomu.

Once more thanks everybody who mailed me, LOVE YOU ALL!

Hope you like this chapter!

Thank you List!

Sexyjess – Saankyu , AutumnsFall, MaraSeti, Luplup, Al, Donna8157 , Ringesttsu, Shadow of the lost, Kikyo10, Vampire Queen Kaoru, Twinbuster, Zethios, Queen Hermy Penguin, ChildlikeEmpress, Supernaturallove, Kenjutsu2Princess, Masami, The Fluffy Muffin Queen, The Only Love for Soujirou Seta, Feve30, Sarah, Quetzalcoatl Mistress, Black lotus blossom, Blossompetals, Midnightblue 123, Iuvenalis, Twinines, Apleeie, Dream Big, Hopeless romantic 121, Tiki-strife, Ixchen, Forever dreaming, Emumoon, Kakashiindrag – Lol, Onhiro, Keniichi, Akiyan, Sweet Miyu, lazyreader, Cutepuff, Whit195, sword_of_heaven, happyloveygirl, Flowergirl, Falkeness, sakura, skenshingumi, ELLIE31773, jasmine_blossom625, manga_girl234, Illeterate, antica, reitamoeshi, icy, Kaori-angel, alwyzme, miniwoo, iluvchocs, sulou, Ellav31, Leigh4, EmbersofAmber, flaming-amber, MikaylaMae, rawr, keniichi, kenshinorio, Rosabella, StoryJunky, Lady Madison, cleoclaudia, JadePhoenix, AceRaptor, Gabyhyatt, Impashence

Hope I haven't forgotten anyone…

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 16: Damsels, Knaves and Knights **

* * *

**Recap**

He bent his head and whispered into her ear, "You taste salty." This time when she pushed him, he moved aside. Kaoru scrambled to her feet and began to run away, when he caught her wrist and stopped her.

"Don't you want your father's sword, Princess?"

Kaoru angrily pulled her hand away and left. Kenshin laughed as he watched her stomp off in anger.

"Salty…..how very interesting."

**End of Recap**

* * *

_It is true that to truly master the sword, one must sacrifice anger and fury first because anger merely serves to blind and twist the workings of the mind. This is not to say that there haven't been men and even women who took up the sword to seek vengeance for real or imagined wrongs. History has witnessed numerous examples of men and women who let their anger control their actions, who let their fury possess their souls to kill, maim and plunder. But can they truly be called swordsmen, who would allow such base instincts to rule their senses? No. A sword driven by rage or fury is a false shadow of true swordsmanship. Such people can never rise above a certain degree of mastery, because their minds have been poisoned. And a poisoned mind cannot touch the pristine soul of true swordsmanship. _

**(Master Tao, The Way of the Swordsman, Sixth Year of Shishio Makoto, Kansan)**

Perhaps if Kaoru had remembered even the gist of the long lecture given by Master Tao, she would not have rushed into carrying out this foolhardy mission. But, that was not to be. As Master Tao had emphasized and as Kamatari had repeated after him, '_Anger clouds the senses and weakens the mind_'. She had been so busy feeling angry with Kenshin that she simply hadn't thought of the possibility of him catching her. She slapped her hand against her forehead and groaned. There was no way she could ever live down the embarrassment of what had just happened. She had never, ever been in such a humiliating and shameful position, and she had nobody to blame but herself for it.

She should have known! Kenshin was the frontline leader of the Kutou invading army. Of _course_, he would have razor-sharp senses. He had probably sensed her presence the minute she had stepped into his tent. Kaoru cringed. He had probably just lain there, waiting to see what she would do, letting her search his whole tent, toying with her by lulling her into a sense of false security and then swooping in when he'd had enough.

How could she have been so stupid? How had she thought that this would work, or that she would get away with this? Why couldn't she have simply swallowed her anger and gone to sleep? Why? Why couldn't she just accept things the way they were and move on?

Kaoru sighed.

She was becoming a nuisance for herself. She buried her head in her hands. She could still picture his face, smug with satisfaction and his eyes, lit by mischief. How would she face him in the morning?

* * *

Soujirou closed his eyes, in and out of prayer. He stood at the shrine inside the palace. It had a deserted, empty feel to it, which wasn't surprising. This was a godless place, overflowing with the misery and pain of its people. He didn't expect many people at the shrine anyway. When a king expects only obedience from his people and doesn't want to hear their voice, he breaks the fabric that holds their life together. In doing so, he strays from his duties and leads his country to destruction.

He was an outsider but even he could see the discontent and restlessness among the people of this realm. There was a strange tension in the air. An anxiety bred from cruel decisions and the refusal to change or accept responsibility for those decisions. Arbitrary taxes and draconian laws were suffocating the life blood of these people, but they had nobody to turn to and nowhere to vent their grievances and frustration. How long could they go on like this?

People disappeared, vanishing in the dead hours of the morning, never to be seen again. Captured and killed, their corpses bundled into hastily dug graves that were often discovered by the stray dogs that roamed the city. Dissent had a high price. But, murdering citizens merely for raising a question was beyond cruel. It was tantamount to abusive, unmitigated violence upon one's own family.

Soujirou bent his head.

These last few weeks had drained him of his emotional strength. He felt asphyxiated by the king's excesses, his vanity, his cruelty, and the lawlessness he inspired. He didn't remember how many nights he had cried himself to sleep. He longed to return to the service of Shishio. His king had been more than a master, almost like a father. Shishio held together his kingdom and his household with love, care and patience; values he had instilled in the people who surrounded him. Those values kept him alive in their hearts. Shishio would always be with him. Even in death.

The sound of a determined footfall alerted him of another's presence. Soujirou stood and quietly left the shrine. He ascended a staircase leading to the battlements. The footsteps followed him. Soujirou stood silently, staring out at the horizon, waiting for his pursuer to appear.

Barely a moment passed before the gruff commander of the king's secret police, known merely as 'Shino', ascended the stairs and looked around, checking if anyone else was within earshot. Satisfied that they were alone, he nodded at Soujirou in greeting. Soujirou ignored it. The last thing he wanted to do was to make small talk with him.

The commander cleared his throat. "My king wishes to see you. There is a small…task that needs to be taken care of."

Soujirou looked away. "Your king is very busy man these days. Does he intend to do away with all his enemies within a fortnight?"

Shino raised an eyebrow and smirked, "I thought you would be glad that you are getting a chance to be of some use. A swordsman is only as good as his last kill, otherwise he gets rusty."

Soujirou looked back at him. "You know nothing about being a swordsman. You haven't been a swordsman for a very long time."

"Are you challenging me?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't challenge murderers." The commander met his eyes with fury and indignation. Soujirou stared back at him, completely unfazed. Unable to muster a suitable reply, Shino merely turned and went back the way he came. Soujirou smiled. This was dangerous but he couldn't help it. The sight of this man's smirking face made him want to hurt him.

He followed him to the king's chamber. As he entered, he was greeted by the familiar sight of concubines lounging around the king in various states of undress. Soujirou was past being disturbed by any of this. He fancied himself to be in some sort of grotesque circus where he was detained until he had atoned for past sins. He ignored the glances they gave him; contemptuous, inviting, lustful, cold.

He steeled himself; wondering what new villainy this scoundrel had cooked up. It took every ounce of self-control not to shudder with disgust. It wasn't as though he was a virginal prude but there was a limit to everything. Kings just didn't behave like this. He had seen pimps in brothels with more decency.

The king pretended that he had not yet noticed Soujirou standing there. He seemed too preoccupied with the woman on his arm. Soujirou discreetly looked around for Shino but he had disappeared. Soujirou rolled his eyes. _Great_.

He coughed, loud enough to be heard. The king lifted his head out of the woman's chest and exclaimed as though he had just noticed Soujirou standing there.

"Sou-jirou! Just the man I was waiting for. Come here, closer." He beckoned him. Soujirou remained rooted to the spot; he had no intention to be anywhere near the unidentifiable tangle of arms and legs that lay bunched together on the bed.

"I'd rather just stand here, if it's all the same to you."

The king's face fell. "Well, suit yourself. The reason I called you is a man I want you to take care of for me. He lives down by the docks, and he's becoming a bit of a nuisance. You can find him at any of the dozens of port taverns. Shino will tell you more." He turned and waved Soujirou away. "Go now…..and Soujirou," he called out once more, "Don't bother with burying him, just dump him into the sea when you're finished."

Soujirou clenched his fists and walked out of the room. He had forgotten the number of times he had stopped himself from sprinting across and slicing this man's neck. With his speed, it would be impossible for anyone to even notice what had happened until it was too late but there was a difference between him and the Xinchen king. He was in his debt. Degenerate as he was, he had given them shelter when they needed it the most. It would have been a simple thing for the king to alert the Kutou imperial army of their presence in his court, but he didn't do so.

Everyday, he asked forgiveness for the people he had been forced to kill. Even though he had done so to save Okita's life, he had no excuse. The blood of those people was on his hands and he knew that there was probably no forgiveness for that. When two lives hung in the balance, he chose his friend's life over a stranger's.

Soujirou set his mouth in a straight line. Okita was injured badly when they first sought shelter in Xinchen but now he was well enough to walk and even mount a horse. There would be no more blackmailing him into doing things against his will. Okita was fine now. They could escape this hell. It was time to leave. But, they had to be careful. If the king suspected anything, he would never let them out alive.

Okita's injury had allowed him to use Soujirou to kill and capture as he pleased. There wasn't even one swordsman in this entire kingdom who could match Soujirou's finesse and skill, therefore having a swordsman of this class at his beck and call intoxicated him. He held Okita's life in his hands, as long as Soujirou did as he was bidden, all was well. But as his refusal to kill people for no reason became more and more vociferous, the Xinchen king responded by imprisoning Okita, refusing him medicine and challenging Soujirou to stick to his principles, even if it claimed his friend's life.

He didn't know what was worse, the numbing knowledge that one mistake on his part would extinguish Okita's life or the maddening anger that coursed through his body each time the king sent some giggling, drunken concubine to his door.

It had been the toughest two weeks of his life. But it was all going to be over soon. Tonight, they would escape. They would make their way into the Bandits' Forest and hope to be reunited with General Saitou. He was sure that Saitou had survived the siege. On the last day of battle, he had urged Shishio and Kamatari to flee with him. Shishio had refused, saying that he had waited all his life for this battle and was not going to run away.

"_For heaven's sake! At least think of your daughter! She waits for you with Katsu and his squad. What am I supposed to say to her? Do you want me to tell her that her father would rather fight some spoilt princeling than retreat to safety?"_

_Shishio sighed. "Saitou, I cannot leave. Why don't you understand? I can't turn my back on the soldiers who still man their posts. They have remained steadfast so that their brothers have a chance at safety. I can do no less for them. And…I don't know how to live without Konan. I can't do it."_

_Saitou's eyes searched his face piercingly. "And Kaoru? Do you think she could live without you?"_

_His daughter's name brought a sad smile to his lips. "Kaoru will…understand. I can't leave. I can't run away from what is my cross to bear. " He turned to Saitou. "I brought this upon all of us and I will finish it."_

_He turned away. "Saitou I want you to retreat when you can. Send word to Soujirou and Okita that they are to get out as soon as they can. Taro, you too…."_

_Kamatari smirked. "I am not going anywhere without you. So don't waste your breath telling me to leave. I am not going."_

It all seemed so long ago, almost as though it had never happened. The memories of his childhood spent in the palace were swiftly receding from his mind; leaving as though even they wanted to escape into a dreamland where they would never fade, never age and forever remain beautiful. He had never thought that he would ever be parted from his master and the girl he had come to love as a sister. But fate had laughed in their faces and scattered them like seeds upon the seven winds. What would it take for them to meet again?

Soujirou stepped into the chamber he shared with Okita and shut the door immediately. Okita stood at the window, looking out beyond the perimeter walls at the city. He looked pale and emaciated. Dark circles slunk around his eyes, making him seem ill. He turned as Soujirou joined him.

"You look so lost. What happened?" His voice was almost a whisper. His illness had wrung him through and left little more than a shadow behind.

Soujirou pulled the corners of his mouth up to form a smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking about home."

Okita nodded. "So was I. But, I've decided not to think about it too much. It makes living here seem like a slow death."

Soujirou looked out towards the gates of the palace. They were housed in chambers that were close to the guard house and the armory, obviously to deter them from thinking of escape but this was exactly what would help them. They would be gone long before any of them realized what was happening.

Okita had downplayed his recovery, showing that he could only take a few steps at a time even though he was doing all he could to regain his strength. Last night, they tried sparring. It seemed as though Okita remembered his old strength and finesse with the sword with each stroke.

Soujirou bent his head. "Okita, we need to run tonight. We can't delay any longer."

"What happened?" He asked with concern.

"He's asked me to kill someone again." Soujirou shook his head. "I can't do it."

Okita looked grave. "You should never have been in this situation. It's my fault. Soujirou, you should have just left me to die in Kansan." His words made Soujirou turn to him abruptly.

"And how would I explain that to Kaoru?"

"Kaoru….if we ever see her again, if she is still alive…"

Soujirou pulled him away from the window. "Of course she's alive! She's fine, and she's probably getting annoyed with all the time we're taking to get to her. I'm sure that she must be waiting for us."

Okita asked, "How can you be so sure?" The quietness of his voice was steeped in despair and resignation.

"How can you be so doubtful?"

"I don't know Soujirou. I try not to think like this but every day we spend here, I feel as though she's going further and further away from me. Sometimes, she seems like a story that never happened. In my dreams, I have to just stretch my hand out to touch her but when I do…..she disappears. It worries me. I feel so helpless, don't you feel like this?"

Soujirou looked down. "I won't lie to you. There are days when I come very close to killing myself. But, each time I feel like that, I think of Kaoru. I think of what she would say. And that gets me past it. Because she is alive, Okita. Killing myself or giving up before I see her again will be a betrayal of everything we had. Each day we don't get out of here is a day Kaoru spends alone. So, you see, we just have to get out of here."

Okita stared at him. "You are really remarkable Soujirou. Even I don't feel so sure and I love her. I mean, she is my bride-to-be."

Soujirou smiled. "Kaoru is all the family I have. I had to live through hell to get her. I'm not losing my sister so easily."

Okita remained silent. He didn't know what to say. Soujirou's faith was uplifting but in his heart of hearts, despair and resignation had found a home. Try as he might, he couldn't see how Kaoru could have survived. She had been sent from the city hastily, without explanation. Katsu was supposed to have found her and protected her since but how could anyone be sure the rescue had gone according to plan.

The entire operation depended on the surmise that the enemy didn't know about the underground river but if this hypothesis was wrong and the enemy had men posted alongside the river, then what would Kaoru's chances of survival be? If she was caught by the Kutou army, they would kill her or worse…No! He would not think of that. Soujirou was right. Kaoru was safe. She was alive. And she was with Katsu.

Okita shook his head to clear his mind. He turned to Soujirou. It was time to get out of this prison. "What do you have in mind?"

Soujirou lowered his voice a notch. "Do you think you can handle the sentries out back?"

Okita nodded confidently. "Easily."

"Then we will leave by the southern perimeter wall. It overlooks the palaces of a few noble families, but the streets are deserted. The main city walls aren't too far either, but we will need to get our horses."

Okita raised an eyebrow. "They are under lock and key."

A slow smile curved along Soujirou's mouth. "When did you last pick a lock?"

* * *

Kaoru stared at the small bundle sitting on her futon. A soldier had left it just outside her tent, saying that it was from Lord Aoshi. She had quietly picked it up without anyone noticing. All the men in the camp were involved in some task or the other. Kenshin ran a tough campaign; there was not an idle moment for anyone in his command. The pace at which work was being done had reached a frenzied haste in the last couple of days since the prince wanted to return to Kutou as soon as possible. Her decision to relinquish the monk's garb also had something to do with it.

Aoshi had tried to convince her to retain the identity of the monk at least till they reached the borders of Kutou. He kept insisting that it was a mistake to travel as herself so openly and that this could and would be misconstrued by the very people she had to influence to bring about change in the lives of her people.

She sighed. If she had to be entirely honest though, she was relieved. It wasn't easy trying to affect mannerisms and the speech of another person. It was tiring. She would deal with her problems as herself. People would know the truth in any case, so why hide it? Her struggle was going to be for the legitimate rights of her people; she had no reason to sneak into Kutou like a coward. She would enter with pride and respect, as befitted a princess.

She untied the cord of the bundle to see what was inside. Her eyebrows shot up and her lips parted in surprise. These were her things! The two kimonos, the few pieces of jewellery, the combs….these were all hers! Kaoru couldn't stop herself from smiling as she picked them up and held them. She was admiring them when a discreet cough at the door of the tent alerted her to someone's presence.

She turned and asked. "Who is it?"

"Aoshi."

Kaoru smiled and called out, "Come in."

Aoshi's tall frame seemed to fill her entire tent. "I see you received it."

"How did you find these?"

"We found them when we stormed the palace in Kansan. We were checking to see if you had decided to hide in your closet while the fighting was on." He answered with a straight face.

"That's very funny."

Aoshi smiled. "Actually, all the belongings and treasures of the ruling family were locked in one of the big chests in Kenshin's tent. They are part of the spoils. It's our duty to get them to the Treasury at the imperial capital."

"Of course. How could I forget? Invasion precedes plundering."

He shrugged. "Exactly. So, we just looked through and found a few things that you might want right away."

There was a ceremonial robe in white silk that was wrapped in the softest of muslins. Kaoru caressed it lovingly with her hand and picked it up. "I must admit, I am very impressed with your choice. If I had looked through that chest, in all probability I would pick these two as well." She turned to look at Aoshi.

Her voice softened. "These aren't just robes, you know." She looked at the white silk robe. "This belonged to my mother, and to her mother before that. Mother wore this when she left her home in the south to come to Kansan with my father. You could call it a family treasure. It's one of the few remembrances I had of her." Aoshi was silent, but he watched her with keen eyes, hanging on to every word.

She picked another bundle, this too wrapped painstakingly in muslin. As she nudged the muslin aside to reveal the crimson and gold creation inside, she looked up at Aoshi, "This is a present from my uncle, on completing my education." She exhaled slowly. "I don't know when I'll see Taro again, but having this here is like having him right next to me."

Aoshi bit her lip and stared at the ground. He didn't want the conversation to steer towards Kamatari. He really didn't want to tell her that he had let him fall to his death.

"That reminds me. Taro mentioned that you were part of Kutou's secret ninja squad. Should I attribute this to your training?"

A strange smile lit Aoshi's features, and he seemed to be very amused by her words. "I will admit that I have been trained to observe people and gauge their preferences through various little pointers but, you should know that I wasn't the one who chose these for you. Kenshin did."

"Kenshin did?" Kaoru looked incredulous.

Aoshi nodded. "I am only the messenger."

Kaoru stared back at the white robe and slowly shook her head. "I don't believe it. I didn't expect him to have this sort of sensitivity."

"Really? Why not?"

Kaoru looked away. She didn't want Aoshi to notice the blush she knew had spread across her face. "I just didn't. He doesn't seem like the type to notice or even be aware of these things."

Aoshi snorted. "And where did you get that idea?"

Kaoru looked at him curiously, suddenly interested in knowing more about the man who was taking up more and more space in her thoughts than was appropriate.

Aoshi continued. "As a ninja, it is necessary that one possesses a certain charm so as to seem more attractive to the opposite sex. It is routine procedure that we are all trained in - preferences for clothes, jewellery, that sort of thing. I may have all the training in the world but there's one thing that Kenshin has that training doesn't cover."

"What would that be?"

Aoshi looked at her very pointedly. "Experience."

Kaoru blinked. She stared at the bundle sitting in front of her and then turned to look at Aoshi, smiling. "Is this your roundabout way of telling me that the prince is a womanizer?"

Aoshi smiled tersely. "No. This is my roundabout way of telling you to be careful." He gestured at the robes. "None of this is innocent or coincidence. Kenshin knew exactly what he was doing when he sent you these particular things. Choosing your mother's bridal kimono was an obvious choice, and as for the red one, I suppose he sent you that one because of the color. The fact that it was given to you by Kamatari probably makes it even more precious to you."

He took a deep breath. "He wants you…." Aoshi paused, "to trust him." He quickly added.

Aoshi's words swam about in Kaoru's head and she appeared disturbed by the revelation that even something as simple as this was loaded by meaning and purpose. Kenshin was far more clever than she had ever thought he would be. What she had assumed was a coincidence or kind gesture on Aoshi's part was actually a well thought out maneuver of Kenshin's. She could understand now. By sending these specific kimonos to her, Kenshin wanted to gain her trust. Her mother's kimono and Taro's gift to her would obviously touch her sentiments and make her more open to listening to him and viewing him in a better, more favorable light.

Kaoru felt exhausted. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Her mind was tired. She didn't want to think about the machinations involved behind every word or gesture but she couldn't ignore them either. She had to stay alert. Aoshi was right.

As Aoshi turned to leave, she stopped him. "Wait Aoshi." He seemed surprised. He stood still, waiting for her to speak.

Kaoru looked at him earnestly. "Why did you tell me all of this?"

Aoshi looked pensive. "Because I don't want you to feel cheated later…and because I care for my cousin." Aoshi sighed. "Kenshin understands the rules of this game and expects you to understand the meaning behind each gesture too. But if you take everything at just its face value, and don't think about its deeper meaning, you might find yourself stuck in situation where you may have promised or accepted some proposal without truly knowing what it meant. Ultimately, that hurts you both. "

When Kaoru looked puzzled, Aoshi stepped forward and sat beside her. "Alright, let's consider your mother's kimono for a while. This is a heritage kimono, very rare and very precious – it is worth a small fortune, probably the land value of a medium- sized province in Kutou. Traditionally, women of high birth were married in it; its pristine white represents purity. What does this tell you?"

As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, Kaoru looked at him in sudden shock and pushed it away. "No! He can't ….he can't mean that."

Aoshi nodded slowly. "So you begin to understand. This is no less than asking you to become his."

He picked up the red next. "Do you want to talk about this one?

Kaoru bit her lip. "No."

Aoshi put it back. "I assume you understand what it means."

Kaoru stood abruptly. "I don't care what it means! I just want to forget about it."

"Don't be a coward!" Aoshi snapped. "If you can't even stand to know what's in his heart, how do you ever plan to deal with him?"

"I don't want to listen to anymore! I don't want to know! Why are you doing this to me Aoshi?"

"Because you walked into this of your own free will. You can't play blindfolded."

A twinge of pain wrung Kaoru's heart. "I see." She laughed mirthlessly. "And here I was, thinking that you were perhaps concerned for me."

"I _am_ concerned for you, which is why I'm asking you to be on your guard around Kenshin." Aoshi hesitated before speaking again. "There's still time. You can still leave all of this behind and run. I will help you."

"Will you still help me if I don't choose to run?" Kaoru asked quietly.

Aoshi sighed. He shook his head in resignation. "What else can I do?" He turned and quietly left her tent.

Outside, the stinging cold wind seemed refreshing. He aimlessly wandered over to the stable. He felt sorry for Kaoru. She was so innocent. Her delight and her complete unawareness of the messages hidden in the things sent to her by Kenshin had been charming until he realized how dangerous it could prove for her. White for purity. Red for passion. How would she survive in a place like the Kutou Imperial capital, where courtly intrigue operated at such layered and convoluted levels that it was enough to render any sane person mad?

* * *

Kaoru sat very still as though she would turn time back by refusing to take another step forward into the future. She dragged her fingers through her hair and paced around the tent. She didn't know why it was so surprising. After all, Kenshin had made no effort to hide his interest in her. She had just never expected to be pursued so vigorously. It would be awkward, uncomfortable even, traveling with him when she knew that he would take every opportunity to come close to her.

It made last night's disaster even more embarrassing. As she ran her fingers down along the side of her neck, she stiffened. _Oh lord_. She rushed to the mirror and craned her neck around. Sure enough, there it was! A dull red telltale mark on the side of her neck stared back at her accusingly. Was this the way she told Kenshin that she didn't want to have any sort of association with him? Kaoru groaned. How in the world was she going to tell him to get lost with any conviction when the first chance she got, she went and let him do something like this?

Biting her lip, Kaoru marched out of the tent, hoping to find Aoshi. Perhaps it wasn't too late to do as he said and run away. Outside she looked around desperately for Aoshi and came face to face with the young nobleman she'd seen earlier in Kenshin's tent. With his white hair and blue eyes, he looked more like a court ornament than a swordsman.

Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks. The man stared at her and was about to speak when Beshimi appeared out of nowhere and told him he was needed at the armory. As he left, he glared angrily at her. Kaoru could only stare after him in puzzlement.

"Kaoru! What are you doing out here?" Kaoru jumped at the sound of Aoshi's voice.

She stammered. "Me…oh I was…I wanted to…I was just looking around."

Aoshi frowned. "You should stay inside."

Kaoru's face fell. "I just wanted to talk to somebody."

Aoshi shook his head. "You'll have enough talking to do when you get to Kutou. You had best stay inside and out of sight."

"Why are you trying to bury her alive Aoshi?" Kenshin voice floated towards them. Aoshi turned around but not before he saw Kaoru looking as though she wanted to run.

"I'm doing what's best for her at the moment."

Kenshin looked unabashedly at Kaoru, reveling at the way in which she studiously avoiding his eye. "I trust you slept well Princess."

"Very well." Kaoru replied quietly, praying that he would leave.

Kenshin smiled. "That's good to know. Well, we should be riding out by afternoon." He nodded at them both and turned to go. Kaoru exhaled the breath she'd been holding when he suddenly stopped and turned back.

"I almost forgot." He reached inside the sleeve of his gi and pulled out something. Aoshi watched curiously as Kenshin held out a brilliantly worked dagger to Kaoru.

"Doesn't that dagger belong to Kaoru?" He asked. Kaoru wished the earth would swallow her whole. It was her dagger! She remembered. Kenshin had thrown it aside after pinning her down on the floor, and she had been so eager to get out of his clutches that she had forgotten to pick it up afterwards.

"You forgot it in all the excitement last night." Kenshin said silkily. Aoshi whipped his head around and gawked at Kaoru in shock. "I thought I should return it to you….you never know when you might need it again."

Kaoru glared at him, her hands quivering with anger. She took the dagger from him and clenched both her fists. _The evil, insinuating, lecherous bastard!_ She slowly muttered curses under her breath as she watched him saunter away.

Aoshi finally spoke, "Kaoru, please tell me you didn't go back for your father's sword."

Kaoru stared at her feet. "I can't. I thought I could steal it back."

Aoshi rolled his eyes, "How could you do something so stupid?"

"It just seemed like a good idea at the time." She replied sheepishly.

"Good heavens Kaoru! Have you any idea what you've done? Walking into a man's tent alone at night, do you have any idea what could have happened, had this been anyone other than Kenshin?" He dragged his fingers through his hair. "You cannot act so carelessly."

"Will you calm down? Nothing happened. I mean, I am fine. There's no harm done."

"Of course there is! You just told him what your greatest weakness is! He can hold you to ransom on it any time he likes, and you will be powerless to do anything about it." He shook his head. "Kaoru, you are too impulsive for your own good."

* * *

Enishi spotted Beshimi sitting outside Kenshin's tent, sharpening his kunai. He strode up to the tiny ninja and demanded, "Where is Aoshi?"

Beshimi squinted up at him and scowled. He didn't approve of dandies on the battlefield, and Enishi, with his white hair, blue diamond ear stud and his silk lapels had 'dandy' written all over him. Beshimi muttered some reply and gestured towards the stable where he had seen his leader enter a few minutes ago.

Enishi nodded and walked into the stable. He saw Aoshi standing at the far end, stroking the mane of one of the stallions.

"Aoshi." His voice seemed taut.

Aoshi turned. "Enishi. What is it?"

"Is it true?" Enishi seemed excited.

"What?" Aoshi replied in puzzlement.

"That the monk is actually a woman? The whole camp is buzzing with the news," Enishi lowered his voice, "that the prince is bringing home a woman in disguise."

Aoshi rolled his eyes. "I thought you had better things to do Enishi." He patted the horse's back and stepped away from it. Enishi blocked his path.

"You haven't answered my question."

Aoshi took a deep breath. So this was it. The truth would come out sooner or later, but as an officer of the army, Enishi had a right to know what was going on in the camp.

He took a deep breath and faced the younger man confidently. "Yes, the monk actually is a woman. And Kenshin is not taking her home; he is merely accompanying her since a woman of her stature cannot be expected to travel to Kutou alone."

Enishi's eyes grew wide. "Her stature? What are you talking about? Who is she?"

Aoshi looked at Enishi squarely in the eye. "She is Shishio Makoto's daughter, Kaoru. She saved Kenshin's life in the forest and to repay her kindness, Kenshin has promised to escort her safely to Kutou."

"That makes no sense. Why would she want to go to Kutou?"

"That's what she decided; now if you'll step back, I have things to do." Once again, Enishi stepped in his way, this time, the dark shadow of danger simmered in his eyes. Aoshi stiffened. Enishi had never seemed so threatening before.

"I hope accompanying her to Kutou is the only thing Kenshin has on his mind." Enishi's voice seemed harsh and raspy. It was strange and worrisome that his demeanor should change so drastically. Aoshi maintained a calm and assured look on his face; an assurance that belied the anxiety he felt rising in his heart. Judging from his reaction, it was obvious that Enishi was thinking of his sister, Tomoe. Aoshi couldn't be certain as to the extent of Enishi's knowledge of their affair but he could surmise that Tomoe had not told him that her relationship with Kenshin was over.

Or could it be that she was still hoping to win him back, and thus had not seen any reason to tell Enishi that it was all over.

How troublesome. Enishi's concern was natural. Tomoe was his sister and he no doubt cared dearly for her. Kenshin's interest in Kaoru would be unacceptable to him.

Aoshi straightened his shoulders. "I do not think that speculating over your commander's personal life does you much credit Enishi. I should avoid it, if I were you."

"I don't care if he's my commander. If he betrays my sister, I will not spare him." Enishi snarled back in response.

"Is that a threat?" Aoshi asked in a deadpan voice.

Enishi laughed. "No no no. I don't make threats Aoshi. I just act, as is required. Nobody plays with my sister's feelings and leaves her…nobody, not even Kenshin." Glaring at Aoshi one last time, Enishi turned on his heels and stormed away. Aoshi watched him leave thoughtfully.

* * *

Kenshin was alone in his tent save for a healer who was examining his wounds. The healer seemed satisfied.

"You heal very quickly Your Majesty. As I have said before, a strong will scares away even the most obstinate wound. Please lift this arm…like so…thank you. Hmm…it all seems in order." He stepped away and began to collect his things together. "I expect that in another week, you will no longer need these bandages. Your wounds should be completely healed by then. "

"It's been two weeks already." Kenshin replied irritably. The healer smiled in understanding.

"I understand it must seem confining but I assure you, it will be well worth the wait." He clapped his hands. An apprentice appeared to take away his medicine chest. Kenshin watched with amusement as the apprentice bent at the waist to lift the intricately carved chest and remained bent at the waist as he walked backwards out of the tent, careful not to show his back to the heir, eyes trained on the ground.

The healer also bent low and walked out in the same fashion. Kenshin shook his head. He looked up at Aoshi.

"Who came up with this idiocy?" He gestured towards the entrance.

Aoshi shrugged. "I don't know. It's been going on since forever."

Kenshin stood and walked over to a wooden screen. He picked up his gi and slipped it over his shoulders. He glanced at Aoshi, and noticing his expression for the first time since he had entered his tent, frowned.

"What happened?"

Aoshi looked at him but did not speak immediately. Instead, he stared at the floor and then looked back at Kenshin.

Kenshin raised his eyebrows. "What is wrong with you?"

Aoshi pursed his lips together. "Nothing is wrong with me! I'm just trying to get my thoughts together so that I can tell you exactly what sort of ungodly mess we are going to be faced with once we return to Kutou and I'm trying to do it in a way that sounds civil, alright?"

Kenshin smiled. "Ungodly mess? That bad, eh?"

Aoshi glared at him. "You have some nerve Kenshin."

Kenshin laughed. "You know, I think you're spending too much time around Kaoru. You're beginning to sound just like her."

"This isn't a joke Kenshin. Do you have any idea what is going on?"

"No, because you won't tell me. You're too busy being a shocked old lady." Kenshin replied sarcastically.

"What was the big idea in sending Kaoru a bridal kimono? Or that red one. Why don't you just go ask her to become your mistress right now and spare us all the charade of being concerned about her?"

"What the devil are you talking about? Have you gone insane?" Kenshin burst in sudden fury.

"Oh I'm insane, am I? And all the shenanigans you've pulled over the past two days is just normal, is it?"

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about!"

"You blackmailed a young girl into following you to Kutou!" Aoshi's sudden ferocity stunned Kenshin into silence. He had never seen Aoshi get so worked up before. "You took advantage of an innocent, alone, completely helpless girl and trapped her into coming to Kutou with you even though she had absolutely no intention of doing so! That's what you've done! You spared no thought to what would happen to her or what she would go through because of your selfishness!"

Kenshin looked back at Aoshi, eyebrows raised. "Aoshi, you're completely obsessed. Are you sure you're not infatuated or something?"

Aoshi threw his hands up in the air. "It is impossible to have a conversation with you anymore." He turned to leave but Kenshin clasped his elbow and steered him towards a chair.

"Come on, sit down." Aoshi started to protest but Kenshin pushed him back into the chair. "Just sit, and then we'll talk."

Kenshin sat cross-legged on the floor before Aoshi and looked at him sincerely. "Alright, the reason why we aren't having a conversation is that you just kept screaming Aoshi. That's not having a conversation is it?"

"And the way you're acting, you'd think I raped her. Aoshi, I know you're concerned for her. It's very endearing but you don't seem to realize….I love her. This is the woman I belong to. She is what I've been waiting for my _entire_ life. And if I have to blackmail her so that she stays with me, I will! I don't care how proper or decent or right or wrong it is. I am going to do whatever it takes to have her in my life."

Aoshi sat back in silence. Kenshin continued to speak. "Yes, I know I didn't exactly play fair back in the forest but what was I supposed to do? Tell me."

Aoshi placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder and said softly, "Kenshin, she is promised to someone else. She is engaged to someone else. Someone she loves."

Kenshin stood. "Yes, well, he's dead. And nobody can stay engaged to a memory for too long, no matter how strong the love is."

"He's not dead Kenshin. You know that." Aoshi said quietly.

"If he isn't dead yet, he will be soon, as soon as I find him. It doesn't matter. As far as she's concerned, he's never coming back." His voice was cold.

**Author's Note**

Hello everyone!

An update coming a month and a half later… I think that's not too bad, right? I had planned to cover a lot more ground in this chapter but I just couldn't get everything settled so, this is it. Lots of conversations in this chapter and the story moving forward at three levels. We finally have Soujirou and Okita making a move out of their unique problem. I think it's fair to let you know that certain characters hitherto given to death might resurface.

Secondly, Kaoru finally gets a whiff of what the "evil" Kenshin is upto and she finds a sort of champion in Aoshi (lucky girl!). Enishi is also going to put his cards on the table soon, and we are going to have Sanosuke back in the next chapter, yay!,

Hope you all like the update, please review!

And before I go, here's a little snippet of what we can expect next time, in

**Chapter 17: **

Aoshi frowned. "Kenshin, there's one more thing. Enishi knows about Kaoru."

"So? Everyone is going to know about it soon, aren't they?"

"Yes but, what are you going to do about Tomoe?"

Kenshin looked puzzled. "What does Tomoe have to do with it?"

Aoshi sighed. "Enishi thinks you're betraying Tomoe."

"That's funny. Why would he think that? Tomoe knew what we had from the beginning. I never told her that I loved her; in fact, I think I made it clear that I didn't love her before we….before we were involved. She never demurred, so I assumed it was fine with her." He shrugged it off.


	17. Love Is A Cruel Master

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone…

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 17: Love is a Cruel Master**

* * *

**Recap**

Aoshi straightened his shoulders. "I do not think that speculating over your commander's personal life does you much credit Enishi. I should avoid it, if I were you."

"I don't care if he's my commander. If he betrays my sister, I will not spare him." Enishi snarled back in response.

"Is that a threat?" Aoshi asked in a deadpan voice.

Enishi laughed. "No no no. I don't make threats Aoshi. I just act, as is required. Nobody plays with my sister's feelings and leaves her…nobody, not even Kenshin."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Aoshi frowned. "Kenshin, there's one more thing. Enishi knows about Kaoru."

"Knows what about Kaoru?" Kenshin looked up from a letter he was writing to Hiko. He rested the reed pen carefully upon the block of wood encasing the ink block.

Aoshi ran his fingers across his forehead slowly. "He knows that the monk is Kaoru." He spoke as though he were lost in thought.

Kenshin considered that for a moment before answering. "So? Everyone is going to know about it soon, aren't they? I mean, I don't see how she can accompany us to Kutou without Enishi knowing."

"Yes but, what are you going to do about Tomoe?"

Kenshin looked puzzled. "What does Kaoru coming to Kutou have to do with Tomoe?"

Aoshi sighed. "Enishi thinks you're betraying Tomoe."

Kenshin quirked one eyebrow up in surprise. He studied Aoshi's resigned expression with a mixture of confusion and good humor. "I must be missing something you obviously know because I really can't make any connection between the two. Why does Enishi think I'm betraying Tomoe?" He shook his head, as if to clear the confusion. "For that matter, why are we even talking about Tomoe and Enishi and then Kaoru?"

Aoshi rolled his eyes. "Kenshin, stop joking. Of course you know why I'm talking to you about it."

Kenshin sighed. He propped his chin in his hand and pushed the writing table away slightly. The letter to Hiko would have to wait. Aoshi's agitation was making him feel caged. There would be no peace for him until Aoshi had all the answers he needed.

"Aoshi, why are you giving this so much thought? There is really nothing to be worried about. Tomoe knew that I didn't love her or have any plans to pursue the affair any further. She knew that. To her credit, she had the courage to accept that she desired me and that was enough for her."

Aoshi took a deep breath. "So what you're telling me is that Tomoe knew you weren't in love with her?"

"Yes." Kenshin replied sincerely.

"And she accepted it?" Aoshi asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"And you were foolish enough to believe her?"

Kenshin frowned. "Of course I believed her. I didn't have any reason not to. Tomoe knew what we had from the beginning. I never told her that I loved her; in fact, I think I made it clear that I didn't love her before we….before we were involved. She never demurred, so I assumed it was fine with her." He shrugged it off.

Aoshi smirked. "And the possibility that she may cry foul later on never crossed your mind?"

Kenshin swept his bangs out of his eyes. "No, it didn't. Because I believe that she is a truthful person. Tomoe is not a liar. She won't lie just to get back at me."

Aoshi shook his head. "Something is not right. I don't know what but it's not right." He pointed a finger at Kenshin. "You're taking this too lightly Kenshin."

Kenshin smiled. "I am not. I met Tomoe before we left for Konan, and she was perfectly composed. She didn't accuse me or scream at me or even cling to me. She merely said she'd see me when I returned."

"And what about Enishi?"

"I wish you would stop harping on Enishi. I was involved with Tomoe, not Enishi. Any issues I need or don't need to address are with her, not with her brother."

"He doesn't think of it like that."

"That is his problem. I am not about to consult him or seek his approval to be with a woman."

Aoshi looked up. "Not even if the woman is his sister?"

Kenshin grimaced in annoyance. "Dragons above! Aoshi, I believe that the woman has a brain of her own. She's not a puppet. Let's not insult her by dragging the world into what was a private affair. Can we do that? What happened between me and Tomoe remains between us. I will not allow some juvenile _idiot's_ misplaced sense of sanctimonious honor to judge it."

He pulled the writing desk back in place and gripped the pen with an air of finality. The discussion was over and Kenshin wanted to be alone. Aoshi stood. He bowed his head and quickly left the tent.

Kenshin might think that this was nothing to be anxious about and his reasoning made perfect sense but…Aoshi bit his lip. Enishi could create trouble if he so wanted. All he had to do was suggest that Kenshin had exploited Tomoe and the scandal-mongers that inhabited the imperial court would do the rest. But, he doubted Kenshin would be affected by any of it. Kenshin held absolutely no value in anyone else's opinion of him – which was why it didn't bother him that he was called 'Battousai' behind his back.

Kenshin was right. There was really nothing to be worried about. So why did he have the nasty feeling that he was missing something…something vitally important? Why did he feel as though this was going to metamorphose into a monster none of them knew how to control?

* * *

Enishi clenched his fists. Sometimes, it felt as though the entire universe was conspiring to destroy him. Why couldn't life just let him rest and bask in the present? Why did circumstances beyond his control and not of his making shatter all his hard work and efforts to restore the glory of his house? He slammed his fist against the ground.

In the years gone by, the Yukishiro clan was considered amongst the principle aristocratic families of Kutou. They were feudal warlords who had given support to Hiko Seijurou's ancestors to build the Kutou Empire. They possessed wealth, land, power and their bloodline was as pure as pure can be. But as time progressed, fortune ceased to favor them and they fell into decline. Lackadaisical decisions and the smug confidence of their power contributed to their downfall. They lost prominence at court and in the army, and most importantly, losing face when the men and women of the Yukishiro line began to favor love over lineage.

He had never expected such stupidity from his sister. Tomoe had always been the model of perfection – the pride and joy of the family. She was intelligent and knew what the family expected of her. She was expected to concentrate on her education and marry into a family of good standing but she had ruined it all in one fell swoop! He didn't know where she had gotten the idea of becoming a princess but he did know that the ambition to marry Kenshin had consumed her for the past one year.

He had always thought of Tomoe as calm and collected, most of all sensible. But there was nothing sensible in the manner in which she had conducted herself with Kenshin. How could she have been so careless of her name and her family? Hadn't she spared even a thought to the reputation of her family before getting involved with Kenshin? It wasn't what he had expected of her at all.

There were plenty of girls from noble families in court who bragged about the number of times they had been in Kenshin's bed – it was another thing that more than half the time, these were discovered to be lies but what astonished and disgusted him was the importance and weight these lies were given. He knew families that encouraged their daughters to get close to the prince; even if he never married them, they would still get stellar privileges as the Heir Apparent's mistresses. That they were willing to let the women of their families behave like courtesans was disgusting, but true.

Tomoe's carelessness would club her along these girls and the name of their family would be sullied forever.

Of course, he wasn't absolving Kenshin of the blame – no, he would have to pay if Tomoe's heart were broken! He loved his sister and he couldn't see her hurt, but even so, he wished that Tomoe had been slightly more cautious before getting into any sort of relationship. In all honesty, he had been shocked to see the familiarity with she acted around Kenshin. When had she been introduced to him? And how come nobody had told him that she was seeing him? Why was he the last to know?

His face burned as he remembered the night he had found out about them.

_It was early spring. He had graduated from the Academy almost two years ago. He had served under several commanders of the army since and was now ready for greater things. He had already asked Okina to speak to the Emperor on his behalf and was waiting for a response. Most of the court had accompanied the Emperor to the southern imperial capital for the spring and summer season. _

_A theatrical performance was to be held that night. The players were apparently pulling out all stops to impress. Street performers, dancers, knife throwers and actors had all been brought together to celebrate the event; made even more special since the Dowager Empress was also expected to attend. _

_He raced up the steps leading to the vast amphitheatre built for performances of this lavish scale. Stepping lightly into the doorway marked for the aristocracy, he looked around. Torches lit the way around the stage and ushers stood at readiness, leading people to their seats. He spotted the Emperor's seat at the centre of the first row. It was empty, of course. The Emperor never made an appearance before everything was ready for him. _

_Some of his classmates from the Academy were seated in the seventh row; they waved at him. He smiled and waved back in response. As he was ascending, he met a few of Tomoe's friends coming down the stairs. She was supposed to be here with them….but she was nowhere to be seen. _

_Frowning, he approached one of the girls and asked, "Hitomi, where is Tomoe?"_

_The girl seemed startled. Her hair was kept in the latest fashion, a straight, wide fringe covering the forehead, and long locks cascading down the back like a curtain till the waist. Her auburn hair complemented her dark eyes and the warm hue of her skin. She glanced at her companions before speaking to him. _

"_En - eeesheeeee!" She squealed, murdering his name. He winced inwardly but tried not to show his discomfort at hearing his name so mercilessly mauled. She continued, in her giggly, giddy voice, "So good to see you!"_

"_Likewise Hitomi, where is Tomoe?"_

"_Oh, she's here." Hitomi smiled vacantly, her pearly teeth flashing as she smiled at various persons already settling into their seats. _

_He felt a muscle twitch on his forehead and fought the impulse to roll his eyes. "Yes Hitomi. But where is she right now? Why isn't she with you?"_

_She tapped him on the arm with her fan and said, "Ohhhhh you worry too much. She's keeping someone company. She'll be back soon."_

_By now, alarm bells were ringing in his head. "What? Who is she with? Hitomi, please, stop playing around; just tell me!"_

_Hitomi frowned and her pretty smile was replaced with a straight line. "I won't."_

_He gaped at her. "What? Why won't you tell me?"_

"_Because I don't want to. And because you are indelicate and utterly insensitive."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_You haven't once asked how I am, or told me I looked beautiful or even bothered to be nice. It's just – 'where's Tomoe? Where's Tomoe?' She tossed her hair, sending silken strands of auburn hair flying. "There's no need to worry, you know. Tomoe is not a baby. She'll be back soon. Be patient."_

"_Yes, but….." His questions were left unanswered as Hitomi left, leading the rest of the girls away, all of whom frowned at Enishi as though he had committed a grave sin. He stood fuming in the middle of the stairs when he felt a cool hand touch his. _

_It was Tomoe. _

"_Where have you been? I've been trying to find you for ages!" He exclaimed. His voice boomed loudly and everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at them. _

"_Be quiet!" Tomoe hissed at him. She turned and smiled sweetly at the crowd of people watching them. She tugged at his hand and pulled him out of the amphitheatre. She dragged him along a corridor but refused to speak until they reached the end of it. _

"_Why must you always be such a nuisance?" She asked acidly, all traces of the sweetness displayed in the amphitheatre disappeared. Enishi frowned. _

"_You're one to talk. Where were you?" He demanded. There was a strange light dancing in her eyes. Tomoe seemed to glow and somehow, he didn't know why, but somehow he knew that the glow had nothing to do with beauty treatments. This was different. _

"_It's none of your business, little brother." She taunted._

"_Yes, it is. I'm the head of this family and it's my duty to know about everyone's whereabouts." Enishi glared at her with what he hoped was a stern face._

"_Head of the family?" Tomoe laughed. "Shouldn't you grow up first?"_

_Enishi took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm and unruffled. "You haven't answered my question." _

"_I don't consider it necessary to answer. You're my younger brother Enishi. Act like it." She glared at him before walking away. _

_He was left standing alone, staring at his feet. Tomoe could act so difficult. She still thought of him as a child and…. it hurt. He felt small and insignificant when she behaved as though he didn't know what he was talking about or that whatever he was saying was nonsense. He didn't mean to act like a prison warder around her but he couldn't help it. Couldn't she see he was worried about her?_

_Tomoe was a beauty. Half the court was in love with her but not everyone had honorable intentions. It was his duty to protect her. Couldn't she understand? And this habit of disappearing without telling anybody, just going off on long walks alone…it invited the attention of every rake and charlatan in the imperial court and created opportunities for them to talk to her if they found her alone. He was simply trying to ensure that she didn't have to deal with any unpleasantness of this kind – what was so wrong about it?_

_Lost in his thoughts, Enishi was walking back to the amphitheatre when he heard the soft laughter of a woman, followed by the voice of a man. He froze. It was very soft, almost inaudible. His limbs seemed to shake. Any other day, he would have ignored it and gone about his own way, but not today. That was Tomoe's laughter. Who could she be talking to? Maybe it was the same person she was with earlier? He simply had to find out!_

_He strode purposefully forward, past the theatre and down a short flight of stairs leading into a courtyard with a huge koi pond. An artificial canal fed water into the pond through a number of small waterfalls. There, standing beside the artificial canal, was Tomoe. _

_His jaw almost dropped as he recognized the man beside her. It was Kenshin. He was smiling and saying something to Tomoe, who laughed once more. Enishi watched horrified as Kenshin gestured towards the corridor and Tomoe coyly put her arms around his neck, stroking his cheek softly with a finger. She pulled him close to her body and whispered something in his ear. She brushed her lips against his for a split-second and backed away as though she were teasing him. Kenshin stared at her for a few moments but refused to rise to the bait. He smiled but removed her arms from his neck and stepped away. He said something to Tomoe and began to walk away when Tomoe caught his elbow and stopped him. He turned, looking surprised. Tomoe stepped up to him and leaned against him, pushing them both against the wall. A slow smile spread across his lips as he raised an eyebrow as if to challenge her. Standing on the tips of her toes Tomoe pressed her lips against his. _

_Enishi curbed the urge to gag. He had never seen something so despicable. His first impulse was to rush out, grab Tomoe and drag her home but he knew that was the stupidest thing he could do. Not only would Kenshin laugh at him but Tomoe would probably poison him during his sleep if he barged in right now. He would have to wait. What on earth was Tomoe thinking! How could she behave so shamelessly? And with Kenshin, of all people! That arrogant, self-absorbed, fiendish, vain, avaricious, demon-eyed villain! What in the world did she see in him? _

_He quietly retraced his steps. As he turned the corner, he spied Kenshin greeting Councilor Katsura outside the theatre. They spoke for a few moments and then entered together. He walked past the theatre with a heavy heart. He was in no mood to plaster on an artificial smile and face people right now. He just wanted to be alone. Making sure nobody saw him, he quickly left the building and returned to the Yukishiro mansion in South Court._

_He patiently waited for Tomoe at home. He had decided to speak to her plainly and seriously about this. Tomoe sashayed in hours later, giddy with happiness. She stopped short as she saw him seated squarely in the middle of the staircase, not allowing her the room to pass, his eyes brimming with silent accusations and anger. She frowned and looked angrily at their mother who sat quietly on a divan nearby, waiting for Enishi to speak. _

"_Mother, didn't I ask you to tell Enishi to stop annoying me?"_

"_There's no need to drag Mother into this. She knows nothing about it. If she had known, I doubt I would have needed to act like this today."_

"_What are you talking about?" Tomoe once more looked at their mother who refused to meet her eyes._

_Enishi smirked. "How do you manage to do it? You act so innocent, as though you have no idea what I'm talking about, as though you've done nothing!"_

_Tomoe narrowed her eyes and quickly glanced at her mother, who looked away. "I really have no idea why you're being such an insect. Will you care to explain it?"_

"_Aren't you ashamed of yourself? I can't even bring myself to say it. How could you? Standing with your arms around Kenshin's neck in plain sight, out there for the whole world to see….kissing him! Have you no shame left?" Enishi roared in sudden fury. All his resolutions to be calm and collected were forgotten as he remembered that scene again. _

_Tomoe looked as though someone had slapped her across the face. She shook silently and clenched her fingers into fists. She closed her eyes for a moment and looked up at him. Her anger was bursting from her as waves in a stormy sea, but her voice remained as cold as ice, without even the slightest modulation. _

"_So…you were spying on me? My, my, how very honourable."_

_Enishi bristled. "I was not spying. I heard you laughing and came to see what happened."_

"_Intruding upon someone's private moments is spying Enishi. It doesn't change even if you try to decorate it with tripe like __honour__ and duty. And I am sick of you forever preaching about the __honour__ of our family!"_

"_Tomoe!"_

"_No! You had your say. Now it's my turn. You may want to live your life bringing back the glory days of this house but I refuse to let my life be swallowed up in it. I was not given this life to squander away on restoring some __honour__ that was more myth than reality anyway. As for Kenshin, he is going to be Emperor one day, and when that day comes, I want to be his Empress. And I will do anything and everything in my power to become his."_

_Enishi stared at her, dumbfounded. "You're completely delusional. Do you realize what you're saying?"_

"_Yes, I do."_

"_You're mad. You're….no…you can't…I won't let you. I won't allow you to make a mockery of our family. You can't abuse our name by behaving like a common slut!"_

_Tomoe's lower lip quivered and her eyes burned as she fought angry tears. She dug her fingernails into her palm. "You can't tell me what to do Enishi. I will do as I please. I want Kenshin and I will do whatever it takes to make him mine." She straightened her shoulders and stepped past him. _

"_He doesn't care about you! He is just playing with you and you're letting him!" Enishi clamped his fingers around the carved wood of the stair railing and yelled after her._

_Tomoe stopped. "The game has just begun Enishi. You'll realize who's playing with whom before the end." _

"_You'll regret this. Kenshin is never going to marry you. You need to stop seeing him right away! I forbid you to see him again!"_

"_Go to bed Enishi. Drink some sake. You need to loosen up a little."_

"_Tomoe! Tomoe! Damn it!" He slammed his fist down hard on the railing. This was worse than he expected. At this rate, Tomoe would ruin everything. Their name, the respect they had won over centuries would all be washed away in an instant if Tomoe did not stop this stupidity. Why couldn't she see what was obvious, even to him? Why couldn't she see what he had seen within a few minutes of seeing Kenshin with her? Kenshin might enjoy her company, he might find her beautiful, but he certainly did not act like he was in love with her. He had seen Kenshin display greater affection for Megumi. He was distant and cold with Tomoe. It was all wrong. _

_Enishi shook his head. He had grown up idolizing Kenshin for his skill. He used to follow him around like a puppy when he had been a child, observing him, noticing each and every thing about him. Kenshin put his soul into his swordsmanship because he loved it. Such a man would give his heart and his life for the woman he loved, wouldn't he? So the cold detachment, the calculated desire with which he looked at Tomoe meant that he didn't love her. It was so obvious! _

_Tomoe was used to having a small crowd of lovelorn admirers pining after her at all times. She had this air of mystery that drew men to her like moths to a flame but Kenshin was not one of those idiots who fell over themselves trying to impress her. Perhaps that was what attracted her to him in the first place. He was the cold, unattainable man every girl in the Empire wanted to marry. He was the man every man wanted to be. His will was done without question. It was hard to resist that kind of power. And Tomoe loved power._

_Even when they were children, she would often rescue him from scolding only to get him to do her bidding in exchange for silence. She would laugh and mock him and enjoy the power she held over him. Power. Power was seductive, and Tomoe was a willing captive. She would never give up on Kenshin. _

_He swore under his breath. The Yukishiro family would become the laughing stock of the Court if this continued. Tomoe's friends already knew that she was involved with Kenshin – they would themselves start a slandering campaign, he had no doubt. It would begin slowly but surely, a snide remark here, a joke there, some teasing, nudging and winking, seemingly innocent questions laced with poison – how would he deal with it?_

_More importantly, how would his mother face all of this? He turned to look at his mother, who sat stone silent on the divan, staring into space. He walked over to her and knelt beside her. She looked down at him and tenderly stroked his hair. _

"_Mother, don't worry. I will take care of everything." He spoke in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. _

"_Enishi, I know I can count on you but…I am worried about Tomoe. I don't want her to become so attached to this idea that it hurts her when it doesn't work out."_

"_I won't let Tomoe get hurt, Mother."_

"_Then talk to her Enishi. I am afraid we may be too late even now."_

"_Too late? What do you mean?"_

"_You're no longer a child Enishi; can't you guess what I'm scared of?"_

_His eyes grew wide. "No Mother, Tomoe would never! She's not that type of girl. She knows her limits; she won't ever stoop to that. I'm sure of it."_

_Lady Yukishiro laughed bitterly. "I believe I know a woman's mind and I understand a woman's desire better than you. And what do you mean by 'that sort of girl'? She thinks she is in love and that she is going to marry the prince. At her age, it is only natural that she will welcome this experience with open arms. We can't fault her for that."_

"_Mother! How can you even think of understanding something like that? Tomoe has no right to drag our name in the mud like this – she can't. She should know that there are certain lines she simply cannot cross. No matter what."_

_Lady Yukishiro looked at him gravely. "Enishi, you need to learn a lot about women. And in the future, I suggest that you give your sister some privacy. She should feel as though she can trust you. But, if you keep reacting like this to every social engagement she has, I'm afraid she is never going to take you seriously." She sighed. The years had been kind to her and she looked as stately and elegant as she had in her youth. She stood and looked at her son. _

"_Enishi, you must find a different way of convincing her. Don't make her feel caged. If you continue to act like this, she might start ignoring us altogether. Be patient and calm. Tomoe is your sister. She needs your support and love at a time like this. She needs you to listen to her. If you start telling her what she should be doing and should not be doing, she will simply stop listening and you will be left out in the cold. So my son, please, be patient."_

_He grimaced. "I am trying Mother. I didn't mean to lose my temper even now. It's just that seeing Tomoe with Kenshin just shook me. I never expected my own sister to be one of those giggling girls that follow him around everywhere. It's like a religion for them. You can't talk sense to any of them. And they all say that they're going to marry him." _

_He propped his arm against the window frame and looked out into the night. He chewed on his lip for a while. There was the other set he didn't tell his mother about, the ones who just wanted to sleep with him, even if it was just once. When he thought of them, and then thought of Tomoe…he shook his head and grimaced. She's better than that!_

"_Well, I can't say I blame them. You must admit Enishi, the prince is quite a remarkable man." She said sympathetically._

_Enishi pulled a face. "What do they see in him?"_

_She smiled. "He's very handsome." _

"_So? I'm handsome too." Enishi replied belligerently._

_Lady Yukishiro looked up in surprise. "Well of course you are, darling."_

_Enishi sighed. "You make it sound like a consolation prize."_

_His mother laughed. "I am so sorry Enishi. But I meant what I said, you are very handsome too."_

"_Mother, the only reason everybody is so obsessed with Kenshin is because he is Heir to the throne of Kutou. And that's why Tomoe is so obsessed with him too," he paused. "I won't let Tomoe be just another name in the list of girls who chase Kenshin. She deserves better than that. If she won't give up on Kenshin, then we are just going to have to get Kenshin for her, one way or another."_

Enishi stood straight. The memory of his promise for his sister infused an air of determination in him. He would find a way to fulfill that promise. If Tomoe still wanted Kenshin, then she would have him. He glanced at Kenshin's tent. Yes, Tomoe would have Kenshin, whether he wanted it or not.

* * *

Night fell over the camp and one by one, all the soldiers went to sleep save for the ones who had the night watch. Sometimes, the shrill shrieks of owls would shatter the silence. Kaoru couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, screwed her eyes shut, trying to force herself to sleep but her agitated mind gave her no peace. Her memories called out to her with guttural voices.

"_You are despicable Kamatari."_

"_I love you too, minxlette."_

"_I don't mean that I'm going to hold a tournament for that. Just, if in battle someday, I get bested by a better swordsman, I would acknowledge his skill by giving him my sword."_

_Are you worried about me Soujirou?"_

"_How can I not be worried? You can be so childish sometimes. Things like these give rise to gossip. You should be careful."_

"_You don't have worry about a thing. I'm here. I'll handle any trouble that comes your way."_

"_Soujirou…"_

"_Because I know you'd do the same for me. We're nakama, aren't we?"_

"_Yes, we are." _

"_Should I come by the hallway like a civilised human being or should I just jump down the window?" _

"_We are creatures of the night my love, mischievous and unpredictable."_

She opened her eyes with a gasp that seemed to leave her dead. Slowly, as the sounds of the night drifted into her ears, she began to feel life ebb inside her fingertips once more. Kaoru sat up and looked around. It took a few seconds to realize that the moisture on her face was the residue of the tears she had cried during sleep. She wiped it away. She had cried enough. She didn't want to cry anymore. She stood and lazily curled her hair into a bun. She picked up her dagger and stuck it inside her belt.

She stopped as she caught her reflection in the mirror. The dull red mark on her neck seemed to call out to her accusingly. She bit her lip and began to rub it viciously as though she would scrub it away with her fingers. When would it disappear? She had no idea how long it took for one of these to fade and she unfortunately didn't know ways to speed up the process. How was she supposed to know anyway? This was the first time….someone had done something like that to her. She scowled as the memory of Kenshin digging his lips into her neck resurfaced in her mind, once again.

She shook her head. This was why she couldn't sleep. Kenshin kept doing things to her and distracted her and….and she was going to rid her mind of him! She covered the love bite carefully by wrapping her cloak firmly around her neck.

She stuck her head out of her tent and looked around cautiously. There was nobody about. She stepped out and carefully replaced the canvas door flap of her tent. She walked past Kenshin's tent and quietly made her way to the stream nearby. Horses were tied to trees close to the stream, allowing them a drink of water when they pleased. A few of the horses neighed softly as she walked past them. She smiled and stroked their heads, whispering soft words of comfort to them.

When she reached the stream, she looked around once more. Satisfied that nobody had followed her, she sat down on a rock and deftly removed her shoes and socks. Gathering the monk's robe, she bunched it around her knees and plunged her feet into the stream. The water was icy. Kaoru smiled and slid her legs in further till the water came to her knees. It felt wonderful. She moaned with pleasure. She propped her arms on the rock behind, shut her eyes and flapped her legs lazily in the water.

"Couldn't sleep?" A voice floated out from behind her.

Kaoru sat up with a jolt. She turned around. There was nobody there.

"I couldn't sleep either."

There it was again! She turned to her side to find Kenshin staring up at the sky. She frowned and felt her temper rising.

He turned to look at her. "But it's too beautiful a night to waste on sleep, don't you think?"

Kaoru bristled. She fought hard not to scream. Why was he here of all places? Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"It was a beautiful night. Until now." She replied bitterly. He looked unabashed. If her words embarrassed him, he didn't show it. His smugness grated on her nerves and she readied herself for a battle of words. Her good mood had turned sour by his appearance and she wanted to fight.

"Why are you here?" She asked irritably.

"I already told you. I couldn't sleep." He replied matter-of-factly.

"So couldn't you go cure your sleeplessness somewhere else? You just had to come here." She turned away slightly and moved away from him.

"I can't think of any other place that would solve my particular problem." A naughty smile lit up his features.

"That does it." Kaoru lifted her hand to slap him and would have succeeded in planting a beautiful palm print on his face had he not clasped her wrist just in time.

He shook his head. "Why are you always so ready to fight? You know, you are just too violent for your own good. When are you going to learn that hitting people doesn't solve anything?"

Kaoru squirmed and tugged at her wrist. "Let go!"

"Say it properly and I'll think about it."

"Let go, you bastard!"

"Tsk tsk tsk. Such a pretty face and such a foul tongue."

Kaoru glared at him. He didn't even blink. She tugged at her wrist once more. He didn't let go. She tried to pry his fingers off her wrist with her other hand, but it didn't seem to bother him very much. He kept looking at her coolly, watching her every move. Suddenly, he pulled her forward. Kaoru cried out in surprise. She looked into his eyes. They….were beautiful. She stopped her incessant pulling and looked carefully. They seemed to change colour, indigo melted into violet and back. Her eyes grew wide. In spite of herself, she leaned in. She wanted to see that crazy whirl of colour again. A sudden fire lit his eyes once more, violet faded softly away and a ribbon of gold floated into indigo, growing wider and wider until his eyes seemed filled with melting gold.

She bit her lip.

"Your eyes are full of the sun." She mumbled, more to herself than to Kenshin. Kenshin sat as still as wood. He felt as though a bolt of lightning had seared his insides. He hoped that she couldn't hear the hammering of his heartbeat or sense the shiver running down his spine. He felt afraid for the first time since his childhood. This was not a game. But, it was too late to back away now. At the back of his head, the ghostly form of his soul warned him that she would burn him. She would burn him and leave him smouldering.

But, that's exactly what he wanted, wasn't it? He didn't care. He would burn, like nobody in this world had burned before. Love was cruel and deadly. It was an ocean of fire…..and he was ready to drown.

He leaned closer to Kaoru. And closer. And closer still.

The wind suddenly picked up. Kaoru shivered, and the moment was lost. She looked up and sensing Kenshin's closeness, jumped back.

"What….what are you doing?" She asked nervously.

"Reading your face. What does it look like I'm doing?" He answered huskily.

Kaoru could hear her heart thump wildly. Her body was tingling in ways she was certain it had never done before. She was too scared to breathe lest the tremors she was feeling in her heart were betrayed by a ragged sigh. "Stop it." She looked away and remembered that her wrist was still captive. She pulled at it half-heartedly. "Let go."

"Say 'please let go, Kenshin'."

Kaoru looked at him wearily. "Why are you troubling me Kenshin? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

A dark expression flooded his face and his eyes became quiet and dangerous.

"You're the one that's troubling me Kaoru." His voice dropped a note lower. "You're the one that won't leave me alone."

He let her wrist go. He stood and walked a few steps downstream, where the water was deeper. Kaoru let loose the breath she'd been holding on to. She didn't pretend that she hadn't understood what he meant. She was shivering and it had nothing to do with the cold. Her brain was drowning in the signs that her body was sending back; signs that screamed out her need and stirring desire for a man she hated completely.

The moonlight rippled on the water of the stream. Kaoru watched as Kenshin approached a large boulder sitting in the middle of the stream. A deep pool of water, glistening with moonlight lay underneath it. She leaned forward to watch him. He stretched his arms back and pulled his gi off over his shoulders. Kaoru furrowed her eyebrows. What was he up to? She concentrated on his shadowy form as it climbed the boulder and in a single fluid movement, dived into the pool.

Kaoru gasped. She pulled her feet out of the water and ran towards the pool. She looked around for someone, anyone else but there was nobody there. They were alone.

She peered into the water but couldn't see anything. It was too dark, but the water had already begun to settle as the crumbling form of the moon slowly came together to shine as a shaking sphere once again. Unsure of what to do, she knelt near the edge of the water and called out, "Kenshin? Kenshin?"

There was no answer. Kaoru covered her mouth with her hand. _Oh heavens, what if he hit his head against a rock? _With growing alarm, she called again, "Kenshin! Kenshin! KENSHIN!"

His head burst through the surface of the water. Water splashed around everywhere. She felt large drops of water running down her face. Water soaked the upper part of her robe entirely and she cried out in surprise and irritation.

"What is wrong with you?" She railed angrily, shaking her robes and wringing water wherever she could without making a spectacle of herself.

Kenshin was floating on his back with a serene smile on his face. He looked up and swam towards her. He smiled wickedly. "You asked me to stop bothering you."

"Is _this_ how you do it?"

"I assumed you didn't want me around." He said innocently.

Kaoru retorted, "That's right. I don't."

"So what's the problem? I left you alone, didn't I?"

"The problem is that you couldn't do it like any other normal person. You had to go jump off a rock and …"

He didn't let her finish her sentence, interrupting with, "Why does my jumping off a rock bother you so much?"

"Because I came here for some peace and quiet!" Kaoru raised her voice.

"You're _ruining_ the peace and quiet Kaoru." He replied pointedly, making Kaoru angrier.

She took a deep breath. "One of these days, I really am going to stick my dagger. In. Your. Neck." She jabbed at the air in front of his face with her finger.

"You can't."

She sputtered. "What do you mean, I can't? Just wait and watch me. "

"You had your chance."

"….."

"I said you wouldn't get another chance and I meant it."

Kaoru could think of nothing to say at present, although she was sure that she'd have a devastating comeback by the time she reached her tent. She had to settle with sitting back, stewing and looking up at the sky, pretending she didn't give a damn about anything he said to her. So hard to do, so very, very hard. The soft, gentle sound of water splashing and swooshing told her that Kenshin was still in the pool. She stole a glance at him. He turned his back to her. His muscles coiled tightly around his lithe frame. She watched almost spellbound as he massaged the back of his neck and shoulders tilting his head first left then right. Her eyes travelled down the length of his back. She watched curiously as he cupped his hands together and poured water over his head.

In the light of the moon, she could not see most of his injuries, but the major ones were still visible. She shivered as she saw the water running through the big, ugly gash across his back darken. She winced as though in pain. Kenshin turned around, catching her staring at him. He smiled, once again that wicked, playful smile. She looked back at him, daringly.

He swam closer to the bank where she sat and spoke, "Enjoying the view, are we?"

"Hardly. What makes you think I was enjoying myself?"

Kenshin threw his head back and laughed. "That's a pity." He leaned forward and whispered, "Maybe we should switch places. At least one of us would be happy then."

Blood rushed to her face and Kaoru thanked the heavens that the moonlight hid the blush that flooded her face. She stood abruptly and was about to walk away when Aoshi appeared, with the royal healer close on his heels. Aoshi seemed shocked to see her.

"Princess?"

Kaoru groaned inwardly. She could foresee another round of 'What were you doing out there by your self?' She chided herself immediately. Aoshi was just trying to help her. The fact that he seemed like Tae's twin sometimes was part of his charm. But, she was going to have to tell him to stop worrying so much. She wasn't completely useless.

"I was not aware that you are such an early riser too." He quickly glanced from her to Kenshin, who had gone back to splashing water on his wounds.

"I…actually….just wanted some fresh air."

The healer shuffled over to the bank. "Your Highness, please step out of the water. Your wounds should be clean for dressing now."

"Let the lady leave. I don't want to be accused of indecency later."

Aoshi snapped a look at Kaoru, who shook with anger and indignation. "When did it ever stop you before," she muttered. Aoshi looked at her with concern.

"Did you say something Princess?"

"Just that I was leaving. Goodnight!" Kaoru slammed her hat down on her head once more and briskly walked back to the camp. Inside, she flung her hat away and tore the damp robe off her body. As she stood in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection and shivered. She felt scared.

"_That's a pity. Maybe we should switch places. At least one of us would be happy then."_

Kenshin dared to say such wicked things so easily to her. He didn't care if it embarrassed her. He just kept teasing her. But, that wasn't what she was angry about. She glanced down at her arm. It was covered with goose bumps. She wrapped her arms around her body. What she was angry about was the way her body responded each time he came close to her. She felt like she was battling with herself as well as with him.

He was infuriating but she still wanted to hear him speak, logical but insane in a way that only he could be, kind but so egoistical, arrogant and selfish that he made her want to scream and throttle him. But even so, he was completely in control. That was the one thing she envied the most in him – his control over himself and the situation in which he was placed. She wished she could have that kind of control over herself too.

As she lay down to sleep once more, she remembered his eyes once more and smiled, for no reason. They were the strangest eyes she had ever seen. So many different colours were kept hidden in his eyes – amber, molten gold, indigo, soft amethyst. She shook her head. _What on earth was she thinking?_ Screwing her eyes shut, she tried to picture Okita's face and his eyes; his kind eyes, full of love and tenderness. Eyes that were normal, that remained constant and didn't go about changing colour every few moments. She smiled.

But within moments, the pleasant dark brown of Okita's eyes vanished into a haze from which amethyst eyes peered out once more. Her brows furrowed at first but she was too sleepy to force herself to scowl. Her defences dropped as sleep claimed her and her features flushed as the face that accompanied the eyes flooded her senses.

* * *

Kenshin sat stiffly as the healer finished wrapping bandages around his body. It was at the healer's insistence that he had been rising before dawn and bathing and this pool for the past two days. The icy cold mountain water cleansed and washed away all traces of dirt and oozing blood from the wound, whereupon it was simpler to treat. The healer scooped a disinfectant balm onto his fingers and gently began to spread it over the burn-cut left by Shishio's sword. Kenshin inhaled quickly and held his breath. He clenched his fingers and forced himself to look calm.

The healer glanced at him. "I have to admit, Your Highness, your capacity to endure pain has really impressed me."

Kenshin smiled blandly, trying to ignore the searing pain coursing through his body. Aoshi frowned. The whole point of taking a dip in icy cold water was to numb the wound before applying medicine. But if Kenshin was still in so much pain it obviously wasn't working. They would have to think of something else so that Kenshin would not have to endure so much pain until they reached the imperial city.

Aoshi waited till the healer had left before speaking. "How's the pain?"

Kenshin let out a swift breath as he bent slightly. "I'm still alive."

Aoshi exhaled slowly. "Will you last till we reach the imperial city?"

Kenshin laughed. "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

Aoshi pursed his lips together. He needed to change the subject and talk about something else.

"What was Kaoru doing by the stream?" He asked brightly. Kenshin would never bypass a chance to talk about the Konan princess.

"She couldn't sleep."

Aoshi ran his fingers through his hair. "It doesn't matter how many times I tell her; she just has to go about wandering alone."

"She's as safe as she can be."

"Even with you around?" Aoshi looked amused.

Kenshin scowled in resentment. "What do you think I'd do to her?"

Aoshi looked at him meaningfully. "Well, there's a lot you could do to her."

"If I had wanted to, I would have done it already. So stop acting as though I can't wait to drag her to the first horizontal surface around to ravish her."

"I'm not acting like that. I _know_ you can't wait."

"What the devil!" Kenshin groped around for something, anything to throw at his cousin. His fingers closed upon a spare metal arm guard, which he hoisted up and threw towards Aoshi. The metal spiralled towards Aoshi, who merely moved his head aside to defeat it.

"Don't act like you're hurt. I've seen the way you look at her."

Kenshin didn't burst in anger like Aoshi expected him to. Instead, he looked very thoughtful. He chewed on his lip for a moment. Glancing up at Aoshi, he asked, "Am I that easy to read?"

"No. But, I've known you for a long time Kenshin. I'd be blind not to see what Kaoru means to you." Aoshi replied quietly, hoping that Kenshin would understand what he was trying to say.

Kenshin remained silent. Aoshi stood. "You should get some rest. We leave tomorrow. We should be back in Kutou by nightfall if all goes well."

Kenshin nodded. Aoshi turned to walk away when Kenshin called out, "I'll try and keep my distance Aoshi." Aoshi merely inclined his head in response. Kenshin sat back against a pillow. His fingers brushed against a throwing needle. He picked it up and began to flip it between his fingers, faster and faster until it looked like a blur. Aoshi was right. He had become careless over the past week. Not being in Kutou had released him somewhat but it was time to go back soon. The intense public scrutiny that accompanied his title had taught him it was best to lock his heart up and throw away the key.

He had to keep Kaoru safe and in order to do that, he could not let anybody know how much she meant to him; until of course; he had a way to ensure she would be safe. He knew that people would take advantage of her anger against him to use her against him, because she was the one person he was powerless against. They would hurt her if they knew her pain would be revisited upon him ten fold.

He couldn't put her at risk. So he would stay away from her. For as long as was necessary. He had waited this long; he could wait some more.

"I can wait my whole life for you, Kaoru."

* * *

**Author's Note**

I hope I'm surprising you all by regularly updating this story. Actually I've decided to finish LLE first and then hit the others. Because right now, the story is just racing inside me and so it's moving along faster and its easier writing, so I'm going to finish off this story then tackle Dance of a Firefly or A Game of Chess, depends on my mood then.

Hope you all like this chapter. I know I mentioned that this chapter would have Sanosuke but I wanted the Sanosuke bit to be awesome, and most of what I was writing just felt so bad, I didn't have the heart to post it. So Sano will have to wait until next time. Please don't mind guys!

Please comment!

**ToreHimeSama **– If you were ticked off at Enishi in the last chapter, I'm afraid in this chapter that feeling is just going to grow. Aoshi is a bit of a concerned older brother for almost everybody. His main job is to worry. He worries about everything – but it's kind of cute. What do you say?

**Iuvenalis** – Thanks for writing in. You're one of the few people still rooting for Kenshin despite the selfishness. Go you!

**Aoki Aya** – Thank you so much.

**Kitana18** – Kenshin's mind runs on one track – Kaoru. For him, that's all that matters and the rest of the world can go to hell as far as he's concerned. Okita is slightly more civilized than that.

**Eloa** – You know what? I can't wait to start writing the Kutou section either.

**Saki-Hime** – This story was the first fanfic I started, and it's the longest running one yet. Everything is much smaller on scale. I mean, the rest of my stories are not going to be so long. This one….ugh…it's a mammoth. I am not complaining though.

**Pinay** – I was kind of sick of reading about evil Shishio everywhere, because I sort of liked him. He was a worthy opponent. (Yeesh, I sound like a Yumi clone here) But point being, I wanted to see how one could use Shishio's philosophy of getting stronger and put it back in a positive light. I tried to do that with Soujirou and even in some sense the reason the war happens in the first place. Shishio can't stand being told what to do, even if it ultimately ends in the destruction of his kingdom. As for being anti-Kenshin, I seem to inspire lots of people to hate Kenshin. Don't do that!

**Melay** – Kaoru kowtowing to anybody has a snowball's chance in hell.

**Queen Hermy Penguin** – Give Kenshin a chance. He'll improve! I promise! LOL.

**Miniwoo** – You are going to hear from other survivors very soon.

**Skenshingumi** – I love how you get exactly which parts of the story I want feedback on. Thanks!

**SnowCharms **– Blissfully unaware is how you could describe Kenshin right now. But it changes.

**Kenloverkao** – Welcome to the family I guess! Happy you're enjoying the story.

**Kokoronagamu** – I agree. Self obsessed and oblivious to everything else.

**Chiyoko** – Thank you once more! I hope you approve. There's a lot of KenKao interaction though I don't think we can call it fluff.

**JasmineBlossom625** – Aoshi is like a Buddha in this fic. Eternally patient and protective.

**Kimithe waterspirit** – Kenshin asks about Kaoru's engagement before the siege begins. Chapter 7 or 8 I forget which one. Enishi takes a very masculine, caveman-ish approach to it. He doesn't have a lot of patience for women who believe that their thoughts and their bodies are their own. Silly boy.

**Ice Queen Barbarien** – None of us hates Okita. He's just too good to be true, and let's face it….everybody wants the bad boy.


	18. Misunderstood

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

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Thank you List!

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Hope I haven't forgotten anyone…

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 18: Misunderstood**

* * *

**Recap**

Kaoru looked at him wearily. "Why are you troubling me Kenshin? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

A dark expression flooded his face and his eyes became quiet and dangerous.

"You're the one that's troubling me Kaoru." His voice dropped a note lower. "You're the one that won't leave me alone."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Perhaps it was the dull pain between her shoulder blades or the unsettling brush of something with multiple hairy legs against her foot that woke Kaoru with a start. She pulled her feet up and tossed her sheet back snappishly to see a spider scuttling away across the floor of the tent. She grimaced. Spiders unsettled her. She wrapped her arms around her legs and edged away from the direction that the spider had gone.

She stared at each dark crevice in the tent with suspicion. Who knew where that spider could be hidden? She stood unsteadily. Seeing that spider had swept sleep out her eyes. There was little hope of catching any sleep now; even if she tried, she'd probably just see spiders in her dreams. Disgusting.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and frowned. This would not do, at all. She could not expect to be taken seriously by anyone in the Kutou court if she continued to look like something the cat dragged in. She quickly tore a strip of cloth from her robe, and dipped it in the water basin. She twisted the cloth round till the last drop of water squeezed out and began to scrub herself vigorously. It was never going to be as good as a bath but she really couldn't help that. With her skin thoroughly scrubbed clean of dirt, she reached up and loosened her hair. Sitting down in front of the mirror, she picked up a wooden comb and set to work on her hair. Dividing it laboriously into sections, she began to comb away the tangles. With each stroke of the comb, the roughness caused by neglect slipped away to reveal healthy, lustrous locks. When she was finished, she twisted her hair into a knot and stepped away from the mirror.

Aoshi had said they would leave as soon as possible in the morning. Well, it was morning now. She should go ask him how long before they moved out of here. He had said 'immediately' but packing up a camp of a couple hundred cavalrymen would take time. She glanced down at herself. And the matter of her clothing had yet to be settled. She pouted. She couldn't wear either of the robes Kenshin had sent before without sending out the message that she was practically his keep. She had to do something about that now, right away, before it was too late.

Nodding decisively, Kaoru clamped her straw hat upon her head and stepped out of her tent to see the whole camp up on its feet. Horses were being brushed down, watered and fed. Some fires were blazing, others were being put out. She raised an eyebrow. At the speed with which they worked, she didn't doubt that they would be ready to go within an hour. She had to hurry!

She took a step forward, intending to go look for Aoshi when a cold hand clamped down on her wrist, pulling her back. She whipped her head around to find Beshimi staring at her with baleful eyes.

"Where do you think you're going? You're supposed to stay inside, according to Lord Aoshi's orders."

Kaoru stared back at him in exasperation. "I know, but I need to speak to Aoshi."

Beshimi narrowed his eyes. He didn't like her one bit. Nasty, violent girl. "_Lord_ Aoshi will see you as and when he sees fit. Go back inside."

Kaoru looked at him in disbelief. She really didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. Here he was, a little pipsqueak of a man telling her what to do. Maybe she should punch him once more. She snatched her wrist away from him and was about to tell him to get lost when she felt someone standing behind her. She turned and fought hard to keep her face calm.

The mask he wore was terrifying but the voice was as gentle as a summer day in South Konan. She recognised him as one of Aoshi's most trusted men.

"Beshimi, you were asked to guard the princess, not restrict her movement." He said smoothly.

The small ninja seemed to draw his shoulders straight and stand attentively instantly at the appearance of the newcomer. "I was just asking her to stay inside for her own protection. Those were my orders." Beshimi managed not to sound like a whiny schoolboy by some miraculous chance.

It didn't matter anyhow. The person he addressed his words to did not give any indication that he was concerned about Beshimi's personal opinion upon the matter. He remained silent and merely inclined his head to one side. Beshimi nodded and disappeared. Kaoru turned to the newcomer once more.

"I really need to speak to Aoshi. Right away."

He seemed to consider that. "Lord Aoshi is with the prince right now. They will take some time to finish their discussion."

Kaoru bit her lip. "It's a little urgent."

He nodded. "I understand. Please wait inside your tent. I will ask him right away and let you know."

Kaoru smiled happily. "Thank you….er…."

He inclined his head. "Hannya."

Kaoru smiled once more. "Thank you Hannya."

"My lady." He held his hand out towards her tent. Kaoru went back inside.

Hannya looked at a tree standing close by. "Beshimi, be careful. Keep your eyes and ears peeled." He turned on his heels and seemed to disappear.

A few minutes later, he entered Kenshin's tent to find the crown prince, the future Okashira and Enishi Yukishirou bent over a map, marking the swiftest way back to Kutou. He remained silent but went and stood near Aoshi. They had been inside for close to half an hour. He knew he wouldn't have to wait for very long. Enishi was speaking.

"I know we came through this vale but it's been raining since. The roads will have washed away completely. If we take this pass now, we will probably be stuck building the road as we go along." Enishi swept his index finger along a black line on the map.

Kenshin pointed towards a depression on the map. "What about this? This rivulet's been dry for years. We can march alongside."

Enishi shook his head. "There isn't enough water on this route. The horses will be exhausted."

Kenshin sighed. "That leaves us with just one route." He placed his fingers upon a flat blue line snaking treacherously through the mountains. "We will have to go through the Blue Mountain Pass. It's risky but short. We should make it in a day."

Aoshi frowned. "That pass is dangerous. The ledge is just wide enough for two horses across. Stray but a little and you could end up at the bottom of a ravine."

Kenshin shrugged. "We have no choice Aoshi. It's either this or a road that we'll be building and rebuilding all the way to Kutou."

Enishi nodded in assent. "The men are tired. They want to go home to their families. Building a road is the last thing they want to do right now."

Kenshin looked at Aoshi. "That settles it." Aoshi pursed his lips. Time was short and neither of them seemed in favour of taking a long route home. He acquiesced reluctantly, slowly pushing his hands off the table. Enishi straightened and rolled the map up.

Kenshin swept his bangs out of his eyes and looked at Enishi. "Send two riders ahead. We are close to bandit territory. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a man posted there, waiting for a chance to ambush."

"I'll take care of it." Enishi bowed briefly and left. Hannya chose this moment to step forward.

"Lord Aoshi, if I may have a moment."

Aoshi looked towards his most trusted man. Kenshin shot a glance at Hannya, who bowed to him, and stepped away. Hannya was Oniwabanshu. He probably needed to speak to Aoshi privately. There was no reason for him to be around.

Hannya stepped closer to Aoshi, "The princess," he spoke in the faintest of whispers, "The princess would like to speak to you. She said it's urgent. She was about to go look for you but I managed to dissuade her. "

Kenshin stiffened. He could hear what was being said even though he gave no indication that Hannya's voice was audible to him.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "She didn't say anything else?"

"No."

Kenshin suddenly pivoted on his right and turned back towards the table littered with maps. He picked up his katana and fastened it to his hip. "She probably wants to choose a robe for herself. Aoshi, make sure she gets what she wants?"

Aoshi frowned. "Where are you going? And how can you tell that's what she wants to talk about?"

Kenshin shrugged. "We are about to leave. She knows that. What else can she want right now?" He stood at the entrance. "It's not that hard to guess."

"Alright, but where are you going?"

"Keeping my distance," He replied shortly and left. Aoshi was taken aback although his face remained as impassive as always. He hadn't expected Kenshin to be so prompt to act upon his decision to stay away from Kaoru as much as possible. He smiled. Even after all these years, Kenshin could still surprise him.

Hannya cleared his throat softly. Aoshi nodded. Hannya bowed and quietly left the tent. He found Kaoru waiting patiently for him back in her tent. She rose as he entered.

"Lord Aoshi will see you now. Please follow me."

Kaoru followed in silence. As they approached Kenshin's tent, she felt butterflies in her stomach. The nervousness and dread she felt at the prospect of seeing him again baffled her. She gnashed her teeth together as she forced herself to think of other things. This could not be natural. Propriety and decency asked, demanded rather that she reserve her blackest hatred for him. He was the man who had killed her father, after all. Killed her father…..and received his sword as a gift from his hands. Kaoru slowed down unconsciously. Da had put her in a very trying situation by giving his sword to Kenshin. Knowing the sort of man her father was, she knew he would appreciate the skill and strength shown by an adversary rather than anything else.

The men of her household were strange creatures.

"Back once again, Princess?" Aoshi's amiable voice called out to greet her. She snapped out of her thoughts immediately. Aoshi was sitting alone at the table. Kaoru smiled vacantly.

Hannya bowed to his leader and made a quick exit. Since the attack in the forest, he had been shadowing Kenshin secretly. There was someone who wanted Kenshin dead and Aoshi saddled with the blame; somebody powerful enough to keep assassins of that class as minions. In his discussion with Aoshi, they had both agreed that it was definitely somebody from Kutou and that given an opportunity he would strike again. So, he had been assigned to watch over Kenshin. Kenshin was aware of it but he didn't mind since Hannya was practically invisible. He shielded his ki so well; sometimes Kenshin had a hard time judging whether he was alone or not.

Kaoru looked around cautiously. Aoshi didn't miss her quiet scrutiny of the tent. He hid a smile.

"Kenshin is not here, Princess. You can relax."

Kaoru whipped her head around to face him and realized that he was teasing her. She shook her head, "I was not looking for him. And either way, I don't care." She shrugged.

Aoshi kept a straight face. _You are such a bad liar._ "My apologies. You were looking around so I assumed….anyway, what can I do for you?"

Kaoru took a deep breath. "I need a different robe, Aoshi. I can't wear the ones I have already….you know why."

Aoshi was quiet. Kenshin had correctly surmised her reason for wanting to see him. He opened the chest that had her belongings in it and retreated to another part of the tent. A few minutes later, Kaoru had found what she needed and stood ready to go.

"Is that all?" He asked.

Kaoru nodded. "How long before we leave?"

"An hour, at best."

"Alright." Kaoru turned to go but stopped abruptly. Aoshi followed the line of her sight and frowned. Standing in the middle of the tent entrance, Enishi stared at her with undisguised annoyance and anger. Kaoru raised an eyebrow quite pointedly. Enishi ignored the obvious indication to move. He remained rooted to his spot, blithely ignoring her consternation.

Aoshi watched silently for a while before deciding to step in. This was becoming ridiculous!

"Enishi, I was not aware that you forgot your manners so easily. Move aside and let the princess pass."

Enishi reluctantly stepped aside. As Kaoru left, she felt the heaviness of his barely veiled anger sit uneasily upon her frame.

Aoshi frowned at Enishi. "What is your problem? How could you act so crudely?"

Enishi shrugged carelessly. "What did I do?"

"You don't need me to tell you."

Enishi narrowed his eyes. "What is so important about this girl?" Enishi asked flatly.

Aoshi's glacial expression didn't waver even for a second. "I don't understand what you mean."

"No?" Enishi smirked. "Let me rephrase that. Why is she still alive?"

"She saved Kenshin's life."

"Oh yes." He rolled his eyes. "She saved Kenshin's life. And so we're taking her to Kutou so that the Emperor can bestow his appreciation upon her in person. Right?" He snorted. "That's bullshit and you know it."

Aoshi levelled a cold glance at Enishi. "Does it bother you that she's alive?"

"Yes. It bothers me. Do you know why?"

"I don't really care Enishi but I'm sure you'll tell me anyway," Aoshi feigned indifference. He turned away.

A sinister smile spread across Enishi's lips. "I don't think that Hiko Seijurou's army has ever spared the lives of any former ruler and their families in his entire reign. So when you make efforts to protect a girl you should have killed by now, it makes me very curious."

Aoshi stood still. Enishi walked up to him and spoke softly, his voice slipping out of his mouth like the sweet hiss of a snake. "So what is it about her that renders you incapable of killing her? Can't you rustle up the courage to slice her pretty little neck?"

Aoshi didn't bat an eyelid. "You think I've developed some sort of affection for her, is that it? Are you out of your mind?"

"Not you. No. You couldn't step out of line even if you wanted to." He tapped Aoshi's temple with an index finger. "It's not how you're built – here."

Aoshi slapped his hand away angrily. "Don't test my patience Enishi."

Enishi smirked. He sauntered out of the tent. He walked along the side of the tent and spotted Kenshin speaking to a few soldiers. His smile twisted and became ugly.

* * *

Kaoru dressed quickly. She closed her eyes, thanking Tae for forcing her to learn how to wear a kimono without any help from anybody and still look regal. If it hadn't been for those hours of practice, she might have been fumbling today. She looked at herself in the mirror and allowed herself a small smile of pride. She looked beautiful. Outside, the sound of horses stamping their hooves and walking around was getting louder. She quickly combed her hair straight and twisted it into a knot at the back of her head. A few loose strands of hair escaped and fell forward, framing her face. She was ready.

* * *

The last of the campfires was being doused as Kenshin stepped out to inspect his unit one last time before they marched home. As he surveyed the camp, he had to admit that Enishi had proved to be a most capable officer on this campaign. He had quick reflexes, the ability to think on his feet and even though he wasn't popular with the men, it was plain to see that they had come to trust his judgment. He smiled. Shishou had been right. This war had brought out the best in Enishi. He was no longer the sulking teenager who skulked about the palace in the imperial capital.

Kenshin stood quietly, sifting these thoughts in his mind when Aoshi came and stood beside him. Kenshin glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Aoshi seemed to be in a rare sour mood.

"You don't look so good Aoshi. What happened?"

"Nothing." Aoshi snapped back. Kenshin decided not to push him for more. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Well, Shishou was right – again. Enishi's been really good on this campaign. I'm thinking of recommending him as commander of his own unit."

Aoshi froze. He turned to stare at Kenshin, who looked back at him in confusion. "What?"

Aoshi laughed mirthlessly. "You want to give a madman his own martial unit?"

Kenshin sighed. "What has he done now?"

Aoshi snorted. Kenshin raised his eyebrows as Aoshi quietly told him what transpired in the tent while he was gone. He deliberately chose not to tell Kenshin about Enishi's behaviour towards Kaoru. When he was finished, Aoshi stood still, fuming silently. Kenshin was not as affected by it as he had thought. He seemed thoughtful, not angry or annoyed.

"I'm not surprised. But, that's hardly grounds for denying him a position he has rightfully earned. He's good, Aoshi. I would be a fool not to recognise that."

Aoshi snorted sarcastically. "Whatever you say."

"And he hasn't said anything wrong, has he?" Kenshin said calmly. "It's not something we can explain that easily. You weren't supposed to let her go, but you did. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with her, but I did. We had better get used to people asking 'why'."

Aoshi pursed his lips. "You know, sometimes, it feels as though I barely know you."

"Why?"

"I had thought you'd be annoyed."

"Why? Because a man is questioning why his superiors are bending the rules? Absolutely not."

"I don't understand you sometimes. On one hand, you claim you're madly in love with Kaoru, on the other, I tell you that some man is asking me why she isn't dead yet, and you're hardly bothered."

"Because it's not something to be shocked about. What Enishi said today is going to be repeated by each person we meet once we return. Getting angry or annoyed at it will only make things worse." He replied calmly. Aoshi sighed. Kenshin was right. He was making a fuss about nothing. And once again, he was surprised by Kenshin's ability to stay calm and collected, even though he knew how terribly wrong everything might go. He knew what was in store for them and he wasn't living under any delusion that it would be a simple matter to introduce Kaoru to the imperial court of Kutou. There would be gossip, raised eyebrows, scandal, and whispering campaigns despite all their efforts to keep things quiet.

A soldier stepped forward and informed them that all the men were accounted for, the camp was packed and they were ready to march.

"I'll take Enishi with me at the head of the column. You accompany Kaoru." Kenshin spoke softly. He adjusted his armguards and walked away.

Aoshi silently walked to Kaoru's tent and called out to her. Some soldiers were busy leading their horses towards the mouth of the clearing. The horses tossed their heads, and stamped their hooves noisily into the ground, as though they understood that it was time to go home. Aoshi stood watching them when he heard the rustle of silk behind him. He turned around.

"Aoshi," Kaoru spoke softly. He didn't reply. His eyes grew wide ever so slightly. His jaw seemed to clench and he swept his gaze from her face to her toes and back. Gone was the austere figure of the monk; it was hard to conceive that this…. vision that stood before him was the same girl who had burst upon them in the forest. How could they have thought that this girl, no….not girl, this woman was a monk?

She had transformed completely, which surprised him. He had seen her once before at court when he had been Kutou's emissary to Konan but he was sure he hadn't reacted to her this way; she seemed different. But, he reminded himself, that was more than a year ago. She had been little more than a child then and everything about her had been child-like too, the twin hair buns, the plain kimono, the breathlessly fast chattering, the sulky pout, and the radiant, unrestrained laughter; everything had been coloured with the carefree joy of childhood.

But, she looked like a woman now. She stood straight to her full height, her skin was scrubbed clean of the dirt that had previously clung to her face, the soft pink of the kimono accentuated her peaches-and cream complexion and the uncomplicated hair knot kept her hair neatly away from her face (without making her look like a cute little cat). He could look at her eyes and notice that they weren't black, like he'd thought previously but dark, dark blue.

Kaoru blinked. Silence greeted her. The soldiers gaped at her; a few forgot to close their mouths. Even Aoshi forgot his oh-so-unimpressed air for a minute and simply stared at her with the undisguised admiration that hitherto only Kenshin had been capable of, but strangely, his perusal of her left her cold. The heat that engulfed her body when she met Kenshin's eyes was absent; the jittery-giddy feeling that threatened to sway her when he smiled was missing too. Although Aoshi's reaction to her fed her vanity, she felt strangely bereft.

"Aoshi?" A sharp voice interjected her thoughts. Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin striding towards them, Enishi in tow. She swallowed and carefully schooled her features to an expression of serenity. Kenshin glanced at her briefly and then looked away. Enishi craftily watched both of them. Aoshi hadn't acknowledged Kenshin's presence yet.

"Hmm." He mumbled absently, his eyes still riveted upon Kaoru's alluring form.

Kenshin followed Aoshi's unwavering gaze to her face and back. Kaoru noticed how his fingers clenched into fists and his jaw tightened as he glared angrily at his cousin who was blissfully unaware of the poison that flowed from Kenshin's eyes.

"Aoshi!" Kenshin spat out impatiently. Aoshi snapped his attention towards him immediately.

"Kenshin….what is it?"

"I'd like to leave today. If it's not too much to ask," came the acidic response. Kenshin cast a withering glance at Aoshi before sending a piercing look at Kaoru. He turned on his heel and walked away. Enishi smirked.

"On second thought, you're the one who seems more likely to sway because of a pretty face." He glanced meaningfully at Kaoru and swaggered off. Kaoru frowned, hoping he would trip upon a loose rope, break a bone, or sprain his ankle at the very least.

Aoshi pursed his lips. He looked at Kaoru who stood quietly. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I think I owe you an apology."

Kaoru looked away. "Why?"

"It was very rude of me, to stare at you like that. I don't know what you must think of me. I'm sorry." He didn't know what had come over him. It was just a surprise, he supposed. He had grown so used to seeing her in the loose robes of a monk, her hair and eyes covered by the ridiculously large straw hat that when she finally appeared as herself, he didn't recognise her. It was as though, it wasn't Kaoru but some strange girl he'd never seen before.

Kaoru forced herself to smile. "It's alright. I've become used to it, since I've been here. It's just surprising when you do it."

Point taken. Aoshi smiled ruefully. "My interest is not welcome, I see. I understand. I'll try to control myself henceforth."

Kaoru shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, it doesn't matter whose interest it is, I'm not interested. I mean, I can't….all I meant was that…" She flustered about before eventually giving up trying to articulate what she really meant.

Aoshi smiled. "Relax. I was just teasing you."

Kaoru was silent. She didn't know to react until she saw Aoshi trying to hide a smile. "You're trying to make a fool out of me? How could you!"

Aoshi held up his hands sheepishly. "I'm sorry. It's just…you're so earnest. I can't help it." He led her towards a horse. Beshimi held out the reins to his leader. Aoshi stroked the horse's neck and looked at her, "His name is Hoshi. He's very gentle…. well, as gentle as a war stallion can be, but I don't think you'll have trouble handling him."

"He's beautiful." Kaoru stroked the horse's silky coat with her fingers. Aoshi held his hand out to her and helped her mount. He checked the stirrups and saddle and mounted his own horse. Kaoru took the reins and led the horse out where the column of soldiers had already started moving.

She could see Kenshin at the head of the column, his crimson hair flying in the wind. A full bodied gust of wind swept dust into the air. She shut her eyes and lifted a hand up to shield them from the dust. Blinking furiously, she opened her eyes and looked ahead. Kenshin was looking back, towards her. His hair whipped in the wind, sometimes striking his face and eyes like stings. As her eyes found his, he looked away, breaking the momentary contact that bound them across a sea of dust and metal.

* * *

The sun shone brightly overhead. But the sunlight was treacherous, as often is in the mountains. It provided warmth against the biting North Wind but left lasting burns upon the skin as a token. Kaoru shielded her eyes with her hand and looked up ahead. All she could see for miles was a single file of horses and riders carefully stepping along a path that wound drunkenly through the mountains. Behind her, Aoshi was looking around warily. Beshimi rode in front of her; he would turn and glower at her from time to time, jump off his horse, walk back towards her and hold out a oilskin containing water, for which she tried to thank him but he always muttered something under his breath, ignoring her words, then he caught up with his horse and jumped on without so much as slowing the beast down. Kaoru smiled. He was, in his own way, taking very good care of her.

Here he came again. Kaoru beamed at him as he thrust the water skin towards her again. "Thank you Beshimi."

Beshimi snorted and kept walking alongside her horse, looking down into the ravine below as she drunk.

Kaoru held the water skin out to him. He took it without a word. She waited for him to scuttle back towards his horse again but he did not move. He looked at her and suddenly asked, "Isn't the sun bothering you?"

She was surprised. So far, Beshimi had been doing a very good job of ignoring her and letting her know he thought she was a nuisance. His desire to converse with her all of a sudden amused her.

"Well, it's a little too sharp for my taste." She admitted.

"You haven't complained yet, which is why I asked."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Were you expecting me to complain?"

Beshimi shrugged. "Of course. You haven't yet though."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" She asked.

"Because I'll lose two gold mon coins if you don't start complaining soon." Beshimi replied glumly. Kaoru fought hard to bury the smile that threatened to bubble over her lips. So that's what had caused this change of heart. Beshimi had probably wagered money on how soon before she started to whine about the heat, the dust or the horses or something.

"If you hadn't kept offering me water, I might have complained by now." She replied amiably.

"Do I look like I have a death wish?"

Kaoru was intrigued. "No. Why?"

"The prince told me to make sure you drink enough water, so you don't feel the heat so much. I'm not about to disobey him just for some bet. Besides, it's the first time you've been so high in the mountains, you'd fall sick if you didn't drink from time to time. And if you fall sick, the prince will kill me."

Kaoru watched quietly as Beshimi doffed his head and scurried back to his horse. She took a deep breath and looked up ahead once again. She paused momentarily and narrowed her eyes. A horse was making its way past the others back towards them. Kaoru observed carefully. The rider was riding on the edge of the path, right along the rim of the ledge. She looked down at the ground, and shuddered. Even though her horse was walking as though it were glued to the mountain side, she could see all the way down the ravine. She quickly looked away and focussed upon the colourful grass growing out of the soil to her left. Looking down made her feel queasy. She wondered how the person who riding back could stand it?

Who could it be, anyway? A messenger for Aoshi? Probably.

She continued to watch the rider, as he carefully made his way towards them, calmly setting his hand upon the flank of each horse as he passed them, as though to comfort and reassure the beasts that he meant them no harm and they need not fear him. She once again marvelled at the courage of the man; riding like this was difficult but riding on the far side of the ledge, knowing that the slightest mistake could take him down, was inconceivable.

She waited for him to come close enough, so that she could see who he was. She didn't have long to wait. As the dust began to settle, she saw the familiar figure of Kenshin perched confidently upon the horse. She was surprised. Something dangerous and delicious moved inside her and she could have sworn that her stomach did a little flip flop. _Oh heavens what was wrong with her?_

Kenshin reined in his horse beside Beshimi. He slid off effortlessly and tossed the reins to the small ninja, who caught them deftly.

"Enishi's on his way Beshimi. Stay alert."

Kaoru glanced at him discreetly but he walked past her, towards Aoshi. A horn sounded from the head of the column and all the horses halted. Kaoru looked around. Some horsemen had alighted; they stretched their arms and legs and hung bags of oats around the horses' necks.

Her legs were feeling terribly stiff. Riding sideways is easier said than done. Her back ached, her legs felt stiff and her arms were weary. She wanted to get off the horse and plant her feet on the ground. She looked around and spotted Hannya, who stood silently behind Kenshin. She tried to catch his eye.

"Hannya…." She called out softly. Getting off a horse was not a problem usually but behaving like a princess usually got in the way of that. Sure, she could slip off herself and land like a heap on the ground but acting like a klutz is the last thing you want to do when in midst of the enemy.

"Yes, my lady?" He turned and walked towards her.

"Help me down please. I'm exhausted."

"Certainly, my lady." He clasped her outstretched hand and put one arm around her waist and whisked her off the horse in a flash. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. As she regained her balance, she noticed Kenshin's eyes straying towards her before they returned to watching the path like a hawk. Aoshi was saying something to him.

Curious to know what was going on, yet wary of joining them, she walked a few steps away from her horse towards the edge of the jagged mountain path. The ledge gave way to a sharp drop, at the bottom of which snaked a crystal blue river; trees and branches jutted out from the cliff face, covering it with lush green vegetation. It was beautiful. The wind chilled her face. She shivered. It would be colder in Kutou. She had never been fond of the cold and Kutou, unfortunately for her, was a wintry land.

She turned to look at the company. Kenshin and Aoshi seemed immersed in conversation, unaware that their words escaped on the wind and could be heard by the princess standing nearby.

"You're setting too fast a pace Kenshin. Look at this path, the edge is practically crumbling away. We have to move much slowly. " Aoshi gestured towards the path.

"I don't want to be stuck here after nightfall. We'll practically be on the menu for bandits and wolves if that happens." Kenshin argued. Wolves! Kaoru snapped her head up. Aoshi took a deep breath and merely pointed to the ground.

Kenshin looked carefully. Some rocks looked sunken. He walked to the edge and pressed his foot down along it. Small stones and pebbles broke away from the edge and raced down to the river. This seemed to anger him.

Kaoru approached them cautiously. "Did you just say 'wolves'?" The fear in her eyes was unconcealed.

Aoshi frowned at Kenshin, who was silent. "It's nothing to worry about, Princess. Wolves are rumoured to be here but nobody's been attacked for months." He smiled reassuringly.

Kenshin crossed his arms across his chest. "That doesn't mean we are completely safe." He looked at Kaoru. "Wolf packs in the mountains are unusually large and exceptionally strong on their own turf. And we unfortunately have just two meters to fight on, if it comes to that."

"Stop alarming her Kenshin."

"Maybe you should stop treating her like a child." He snapped back. Kaoru blinked and felt that it was best to step away from this conversation. The two of them glaring daggers at each other made her very uncomfortable. Honestly! They fought like children. Her eyes misted over. They reminded her of the squabbles she had with Soujirou. Soujirou, like Aoshi was the soul of discretion, serenity and everything good, but like Aoshi again, he could become extremely protective and she had to yell at him or punch him to make him stop. He treated her like she was made of glass. She smiled – he was forever fussing over her. She could get into all sorts of trouble and he would get her out of it. She could act like the most selfish idiot in the world but he still adored her for it.

Soujirou would tell her that everything would be alright and she would believe him. Lost in these thoughts, Kaoru didn't watch where she was going – a very big mistake.

Everything seemed to move slowly; although everybody later claimed it had been merely a matter of seconds. Her foot slipped, and the ground seemed to race up towards her face. The earth crumbled underneath her foot and fell away. She cried out in alarm and fear. Her eyes fell upon Aoshi who seemed to be screaming her name, Hannya bolted forward but his fingers seemed too far away to help. As she shut her eyes upon the terror of a dreadful fall, she thought she saw a streak of crimson rushing towards her and then dismissed the thought. _It's just your imagination._

* * *

"KAORU! NOOOOOO!"

The echo of this desperate scream reverberated noisily in the countryside. It jolted the man sitting outside on the river bank. The man dropped his water bucket and ran towards the source of the noise. He stumbled upon loose stones but kept running. Within minutes, he reached a shabby hut. He looked around furtively and pushed the door open. Securing the door close carefully behind him, he turned his attention to the limp figure sitting on a futon in the middle of the hut.

The man gently sat beside the screamer and placed his hand firmly upon his back, trying to calm him down.

"My lord, what happened? Did you have a bad dream?" He asked calmly. His patient shook violently. He was panting. His forehead was slick with sweat and his eyes darted about desperately.

The man leaned forward. "My lord? Are you alright?"

The patient let loose a sigh. He curled his fingers tightly into the sheet covering the futon. "Yes, I am fine. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, my lord? Bad dreams are common in your condition." The man stood and filled a cup with water. He placed it beside the futon. "You should try and get some rest now."

"I can't. Each time I try to sleep, something bad happens to her. Have you had any news of the others?"

The man shook his head. "Nothing confirmed yet, Lord Kamatari. But, we have heard rumours that Commanders Soujirou and Okita are alive and possibly making their way to Bandit's Forest."

Kamatari's face visibly brightened. "Soujirou is alive? And Okita too? That news gives me life." He smiled. "Bandit's Forest is not so far from here, is it Hoshi?"

"No it isn't, but if you are thinking of leaving this hut anytime soon, I must warn you, you won't make it very far in your state. To begin with, you need to eat, and sleep properly. Only then are you going to be strong enough to venture out of here."

Kamatari groaned. "Hoshi, you're more like a jail warder than a healer."

Hoshi arched an eyebrow. "Whatever helps your lordship follow my instructions."

Kamatari grinned. "You're not really offended are you, Hoshi? Come on, I was merely teasing."

Hoshi looked grave. "You've always been a strange one, my lord. Shivering and shaking one minute, teasing and joking the next."

"You don't understand. If Soujirou and Okita are alive, that makes our chances of finding Kaoru stronger."

Hoshi snapped his fingers. "That reminds me! Captain Katsu was here this morning. He said he had news for you. Something he had found out recently."

Kamatari sat up excitedly. "Really? Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't wake you because you're not in any state to go gallivanting across the country on a wild goose chase. Let Katsu follow his rumours and see if they're worth anything. You need to recuperate and build your strength anew. What help will you be to the princess, if you collapse as soon as you see her?"

Hoshi grew silent as he noticed Kamatari's face. Kamatari silently placed the cup on the floor. He bit his lip and stared at his legs. Hoshi swore under his breath.

"My lord, my intention was not to hurt you. I have been a healer in the service of the king for my entire life, and I know that your case is complicated but it is not impossible. With proper rest, you will once again find your feet. This weakness won't last forever."

Kamatari nodded, but he did not speak. Hoshi quietly retreated from the hut and went back to the river bank. Kamatari stared at his feet again. He sighed. It had been a terrible dream. Kaoru was falling and he could do nothing. He watched her fall into the abyss but his legs wouldn't move. He lay paralysed as the child he had loved more than life itself disappeared into a yawning gulf of darkness, screaming his name, crying for help. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

No. No. No! He opened his eyes. This was not real. It was his weak mind trying to scare him and nothing more. He was imagining the worst. Kaoru was alive and well. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe. He shut his eyes. _All my prayers are with you, minxlette. Be safe. Please, please be safe. _

* * *

She tried to hold onto something as she hurtled down the cliff. She felt her palms tear against rough roots and jagged edges of rock as she plunged down. Twisted roots scraped against her legs, tearing the silken kimono, ripping it in places, scratching her skin, sending tiny thread-like ribbons of blood twirling down her legs. She whimpered with pain as a sliver of stone cut into her arm.

Her strength was giving way when suddenly, a forceful jolt jarred her senses and a cool grip tightened around her wrist. Her eyes opened and her jaw dropped. Kenshin was hanging upside down above her. She didn't know what he was holding onto (besides her) that hadn't let him fall as well.

His grip tightened. She fluttered in the wind like a rag doll, swaying to and fro. She looked down, the bottom of the ravine did not seem so far away anymore, and the river looked swollen compared to the ribbon it had seemed from the trail. As she swung, her mind raced. How in the seven heavens had Kenshin gotten to her so fast? He had been nowhere near her. Had he….just jumped down the cliff after her? Why? Did he have no fear?

She looked up at him. A strange fear settled into her heart. Looking at him, she seemed to lose her voice. He was saying something.

"Kaoru….Kaoru, are you alright?" He spoke softly, as though she would break if he spoke too loudly, as though she were something fragile he didn't want to crush.

She nodded her head vigorously. He didn't miss the fear in her eyes. He tightened his hold upon her almost as though he wasn't thinking about what he did.

"Don't worry. We'll be out of this soon."

She swallowed and nodded once more. Kenshin looked up, where he could see the faint figures of Aoshi and Hannya peering over the ledge.

"Kenshin!" Aoshi's voice called out. "Did you catch her? Are you both alright?"

"I've got her!" Kenshin shouted back. "How do we get back up?"

Aoshi and Hannya exchanged a quiet glance. Hannya whispered. "We have no rope. We can't pull them up without rope."

"Why don't we have rope? " Aoshi exclaimed in surprise. The news of somebody falling off the ledge had reached the head of the column as well. Moments later, Enishi appeared at Hannya's side, looking curious. "There are over two hundred men in this unit and nobody thought of bringing along rope?" Aoshi looked incredulous.

Enishi frowned. "Yes but this is a war unit, not a climbing expedition." He answered pointedly. "And in any case, we weren't going to climb over Kansan's walls, were we?"

"Then what do we do?" Aoshi asked.

Hannya thought hard. "They can't come back on this trail. They'll have to climb down and follow the river. This river's dammed up north. There's a check post where we can rejoin them and then go to the imperial capital by boat."

Aoshi shook his head. "Hannya, the river runs through wild jungle. They can't travel through that alone."

"Trying to hoist them back up here poses a greater risk."

"There has to be another way. We can't just leave them in the wilderness. There are wild animals around and it's dangerous."

Miles below, Kenshin felt the pain in his arm intensify as he strained to hold onto Kaoru's wrist. _What is taking them so long?_ He thought irritably. Kaoru bit her lip. Her arm was hurting and her wrist felt numb.

Kenshin looked at her. "Kaoru hold on. Don't let go."

She looked back at him. "I won't."

Kenshin nodded. They had to wait, for now.

Aoshi leaned across the ledge once more, Hannya beside him. "Kenshin!"

Kenshin looked up. Aoshi looked worried. He frowned.

"You'll have to go down. Climb down and follow the river north. We will join you at the dam."

Kenshin thought about it. They probably had no way of pulling them up. Going down…climbing was out of the question. The rock was wet and had moss, grass and trees growing out of it, but there was no surety on the strength of the branches. Climbing would also require flexibility and stamina. Kaoru was probably already tired by riding sideways and her kimono would not allow her the room to move her legs, which she would need to climb down. No, climbing was definitely out of the question. The only way possible would require a leap of faith in him from Kaoru. He wasn't too optimistic about getting her to cooperate on this. But, that's the way it had to be.

He looked up. "Alright." Aoshi smiled, his face flushed with relief.

Kaoru furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on?"

Kenshin took a deep breath. "Kaoru, you'll have to trust me."

"What?"

"I said you'll have to trust me. Can you do that?" He replied patiently.

Kaoru was silent. Trust him? Trust Kenshin? She looked at him. He was watching her with a mixture of hope and trepidation, as though he knew what she was going to say and it didn't give him any happiness.

"Do I have a choice?" She answered finally. A dark look passed across his features and he pursed his lips together. He was hurt, even though he tried to hide it. Kaoru berated herself immediately. That had been unnecessary. He had just jumped down a cliff for her. The only reason he was asking her that question now was because he was trying to help. Kenshin looked up and gripped the tangle of roots he had hung onto tightly, and then he shifted his weight and began to swing Kaoru back and forth.

Kaoru tried hard not to scream. The first time she swung, she could see all the way down, the jagged rocks at the bottom of this cliff, the turquoise blue water of the river, the lush green moss that stuck to the rocks beside it. The next time, she screwed her eyes shut, determined not to open them until….well until she was off this stupid cliff. But, she hadn't counted upon falling a second time. She had counted upon Kenshin holding on to her…that answered his question, she thought as she was suspended in the air for a second before Kenshin caught her wrist again.

"What are you doing!" She exclaimed, half crazed with fear and indignation. Kenshin smiled. She froze. Kenshin was right next to her and his arm had somehow snaked around her waist. Before she could ask him what was going on, he jerked his head to the right, "There's a foothold to your right."

Kaoru looked down. Sure enough, a wedge in the rock provided a temporary foothold. She placed her toes firmly and looked back at him.

"Hang on to this root, here." He pointed to a mess of roots creeping down from above. She clasped them tightly. Kenshin nodded and removed his arm from her body.

"I'm sorry but I had to do everything really fast or you would've been even more scared." Kenshin shrugged his shoulders slightly. Kaoru shivered.

"Exactly, what happened here? I'm still a little confused."

Kenshin took a deep breath. "Well, I swung you up into the air and let go, then I slipped down and managed to catch you. That's how we ended up on the same level."

"I see." Kaoru silently processed this information. She couldn't help feel angry. How could he just toss her in the air when he wanted, catch her when it pleased him, what if he missed? What if he slipped and went down himself, how on earth was she supposed to help when she couldn't even manoeuvre herself out of this place? Gods! What was wrong with him?

Kenshin noticed anger simmering in her eyes. He knew he had to act fast, or they'd be stuck hanging on to this cliff like insects, arguing about what should have or should not have happened. They had enough time to argue when they reached the bottom of the cliff.

"We need to jump."

"Oh I see…..waitaminute! We need to _what_?" Kaoru shrieked. Kenshin grinned. He wondered if Kaoru knew just how attractive she looked with her face flushed with anger. Her eyes flashed fire, her skin glowed, and her cheeks went red – he grinned once more.

"We need to jump." He repeated innocently, knowing that she'd snap back at him; telling him that she had heard him right the first time around.

"I heard what you said the first time around Kenshin!" Kaoru snapped. She frowned. Kenshin fought the urge to smile and kept his face straight instead.

Kaoru took a deep breath to calm down. "Alright, why do we have to jump? Can't we just climb down? How far down is it anyway?"

"We're halfway down from the trail. It's at least forty feet, Kaoru; we can't climb down that far. There's no guarantee we'll find any footholds, and if we slip even once, that's the end."

"How does jumping seem safer to you?"

"Trust me."

"No! I can't! Kenshin, I won't." Kaoru replied belligerently.

"You have to." A strand of hair kept slipping into her eyes, irritating her and making her angrier. She shook her head, hoping it would slip out, and turned to tell Kenshin that she was not going to jump off, no matter what he told her.

"Look, I'll go first and then you jump, I'll catch you." Kaoru shook her head and opened her mouth to protest but the problem was, Kenshin wasn't there anymore.

She gasped as he calmly let go of the branches he was holding onto, spread his arms and jumped.

Kenshin shut his eyes and concentrated. He had to focus otherwise the landing could possibly break his legs. He opened his eyes and looked down. As the ground raced up towards him, he braced for impact and landed firmly on his feet. He somersaulted quickly to relieve the pressure from his feet and stood. Quickly assessing the damage, he was relieved to note that apart from a little shakiness, nothing else seemed to be wrong.

He looked up. Kaoru was clinging desperately to the rock face. He bit his lip. She had to trust him to jump; there was no other way of getting down from there.

"Kaoru! Let go and I'll catch you."

"Are you out of your mind? No!" She moved closer to the rock face.

"Kaoru, please."

"No."

Kenshin frowned. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Kaoru bit her lip and looked down. Kenshin looked so far away. And she was so high up. How could she tell him that she was terrified? She was scared of heights. She had always been scared of heights. She shuddered. But, there was really no option, was there? It was either jump, or cling to a rock for the rest of her life (which may not extend beyond nightfall, if tales of the wolves were rumoured to be true).

Metres above, Aoshi, Hannya and Enishi watched patiently as the drama beneath unfolded. Aoshi clenched his fists, frustrated with his helplessness. Hannya was as still and silent as a stone. Enishi seemed bored. Beshimi leaned over and craned his neck, hoping to catch a better look.

Enishi yawned, "Has she jumped yet?"

Aoshi shook his head, "No."

"What's taking her so long? This is boring and I want to get moving. We've wasted enough time." He grumbled. Aoshi frowned but kept quiet. It was useless saying anything to Enishi.

"She's probably feeling a little nervous," Aoshi said quietly. Enishi snorted. Aoshi turned to look at him, "How would you feel if you had to jump a thirty foot drop?"

"Considering there was somebody already down there to help me, I wouldn't waste time getting scared by the second. I would jump." Enishi retorted. Aoshi rolled his eyes.

"Oh shut up Enishi." Aoshi went back to staring down the ledge, hoping everything would turn out alright.

Enishi began to pace impatiently, kicking little pebbles here and there. He sauntered back towards the ledge after a few minutes. He placed his foot upon a small boulder sticking out of the ground near the edge. Absentmindedly, he began to exert pressure upon it. He didn't notice that it began to break loose from the soil around it until it was too late. The boulder suddenly broke away and went tumbling down the side of the cliff. He stumbled and was about to follow it down himself had it not been for Hannya, who caught his arm and pulled him back. Aoshi glared at him. He could not believe what he had just done.

Then he noticed the boulder racing down the cliff, taking more stones down along with it.

"What have you done?" His voice dropped dangerously. Hannya leaned over and confirmed what Aoshi feared. "It's heading towards them."

Aoshi swore colourfully. Enishi had the sense to look contrite and be very quiet.

The boulder rolled and bumped down the cliff, hitting other small stones together as it went, dragging them along till a sizeable number of rocks and stones began to hurtle down the steep cliff.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes and looked carefully. Dust was rising above Kaoru. It couldn't be! His eyes grew wide with fear. Landslide! They had no more time. Kaoru would have to jump now, ready or not.

"Kaoru! Jump!"

"I can't." She whispered. She was scared and she couldn't tell anyone. Just looking down made her head spin. She looked down at Kenshin and slowly shook her head.

"Kaoru, listen to me! I know you're scared… and you have every right to be… but if you don't jump right now, you will get crushed under a landslide. So jump!"

Kaoru's heart sank. She could see the small avalanche of dust headed straight for her. She trembled and screwed her eyes shut. Enough! She wasn't going die snivelling and cowering like this. She was Shishio Makoto's daughter and she wasn't going to crumble in a heap like this.

She twisted and turned around so she could look at Kenshin. He was standing directly below, looking up at her with expectation. She leaned forward; slowly stretching her arms straight, as far as they would go. She mumbled a word of prayer and let go.

The sleeves of her kimono flapped and her eyes felt dry. She closed them again; keeping them open had been a mistake. She was trying to be brave but she didn't have to overdo it just for Kenshin's benefit. The swooshing sound of the wind in her ears didn't help either. Against her better judgment, she opened her eyes once to more to see a blur of lush green skate past her, the sapphire blue water of the river grew wider and wider, she turned in the air and felt her body slam down hard against something…..wait….somebody. She was cocooned in the warmth of Kenshin's embrace.

She lifted her head and looked about. Kenshin was sprawled on the ground and she rested on top of him. His shoulders shook. She gasped and tried to get away from him. Catching her like this meant that he'd landed directly on his back, which was still cut up from his injury.

She scrambled back, "Oh, I'm so sorry. You're injured already…are you alright?" Kenshin caught her wrist and pulled her back into his arms. Lifting her easily, he bolted towards the foot of the cliff. A humungous boulder jutted out; it looked like the initial few steps of an ancient staircase leading into the sky. Kenshin darted underneath it just as a small avalanche of dust and rocks landed onto the grainy shore of the river. Kaoru watched aghast. They had made it just in time. A second later and the river shore would have been splattered with more than just rocks. She shut her eyes, feeling sick.

Unconsciously, she rested her head against Kenshin's shoulder. He glanced down at her. She seemed shaken. He was quiet. She turned away from the landslide and looked up at him. He sat very still, careful that his hands didn't touch her anymore than absolutely necessary. He didn't want to alarm her. She had almost died. It took every ounce of self-control not to pull her closer and kiss her just to reassure himself that she was still alive.

Kaoru noticed his discomfort. He was avoiding looking at her. She suddenly realized why! She was practically sitting in his lap! She blushed and hurriedly removed her arms from around his neck. She jerkily pulled away and sat on the ground, facing him. He didn't stop her. An awkward silence followed wherein neither of them could think of something to say, and each strived to escape meeting the eyes of the other.

Kenshin clenched his fists but the tremulous shivers running through his body didn't stop. He swore under his breath. She was alright. She was alive and not badly hurt. He didn't have to behave like a snivelling schoolboy at his first dojo duel. This had to stop!

He stood abruptly. Kaoru looked up, startled. His eyes roved over her face, checking for signs of pain. He nodded. "You're alright." He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Kaoru stumbled but Kenshin steadied her. Once she regained some balance, he stepped away. He stepped carefully through the rubble to the river shore. Aoshi and the others were still waiting. He had to tell them Kaoru was alright and they could continue on the trail.

Kaoru followed him out. She looked up and around. She couldn't even see the trail they had been travelling. The cliffs surrounding them were huge. Her heartbeat raced. It was incredible. She had fallen off one of these cliffs and survived. She blinked. She had survived because of Kenshin. Because he had jumped straight after her. She looked for him and saw standing a foot away, staring north. Her breath hitched in her throat. How could she ever thank him for this?

She slowly walked towards him. Each step made her feet feel heavier. It was as though she was wearing chains and had to drag them along every step she took.

Kenshin tilted his head back and called out, "Aoshi!"

"Kenshin!" Aoshi's voice shouted back happily. "Are you alright? What about Kaoru?"

"We're fine. We'll see you at the check post." He raised his arm. Aoshi responded by waving his arm. Kenshin turned away and looked to the path they had to take. The river was swift and deep but it had wide shores where they could walk safely. The only problem was that they would have to be careful, since animals from all over the forest came to drink water at this river. He sighed.

"Kenshin," she called him tentatively. He turned around to look at her. She looked at her feet. "Thank you."

He frowned as though he didn't understand. "What for?"

She was stumped. She hadn't expected him to say that. "You….you jumped after me."

He gazed at her quietly. "Why are you so surprised about it?" He asked.

Kaoru stared. Of all the idiotic things to say! Here she was, dying of embarrassment, trying to find the right words to thank him and he was making it worse by pretending not to know what she was talking about. She flew into a sudden bout of anger.

"Because it's a suicidal jump! Because I'm trying to thank you and you won't even let me and because I don't even know why you'd risk doing something so dangerous for a woman who hates you, that's why!"

Kenshin arched his eyebrows. He seemed amused by her outburst and smiled enigmatically. "I don't think you hate me Kaoru."

She opened her mouth to blast him into smithereens but nothing came out. Her voice had deserted her. Kenshin gingerly stretched his arms and twisted. He took a few steps then turned to look at her.

"You didn't hurt yourself, sliding down, did you?" He asked with concern.

She glanced at her palms. They were scratched and bleeding. "Just a little." She held her palm up. Kenshin came closer. Hesitantly he took her hand and checked. He gently pushed the sleeve of her kimono back, revealing cuts along her arm. As his fingers stroked her arm, she felt the hair on her neck stand on end. She could feel her heart thumping loudly. She pulled her hand away. "It's alright. It doesn't hurt very much."

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. With a nod of his head, he stepped away from her. Adjusting his katana on his hip, he said, "You should wash your hands in the river. It'll help even though you don't feel any pain."

"Alright."

As she knelt near the gushing water of the river, Kaoru looked around. The forest seemed to stretch till the very bank of the river. Lush, dense trees made a curtain of impenetrable green. There could be an army of bandits hidden away in this forest and nobody would be privy to it. She quickly washed her hands, arms and even her legs, washing the curving ribbons of blood off her body. Luckily, the scratches had dried up and apart from a little stinging, she felt no pain.

She stood to find Kenshin waiting. She joined him quickly. He turned and started walking.

"How do you know this is the way we have to go?" She asked curiously.

"I know this forest quite well and besides, right now, all we're doing is following the river." Kenshin answered. He stepped carefully, trying not to leave tracks.

"But, what if the river forks into two as we go ahead, then what do we do?"

"In that case, we keep to the right."

"But, what if you forget the way and we get lost?"

Kenshin stopped. He turned to look at her. "If we get lost, I would not mind. But, you might not find it as enjoyable as me, so for your sake, let's hope that I do not forget the way."

Kaoru scowled but didn't respond although she had at least two smarting rejoinders ready to fling back at him. But, he was right. She really couldn't afford wasting more time. She followed silently, warily peering into the thick forest surrounding them. Kenshin remained silent; he made no effort to speak to her or even turn and check to see if she were following.

Kaoru stopped. They had been walking for hours and she felt tired. She hoped Kenshin would stop. Her legs felt like they were made of lead. The sun was about to set. The peaks of the mountains seemed aglow with pink flames where the dying light of the sun touched their snow covered crowns. She sighed and walked ahead. She bumped into Kenshin, who had stopped. He turned to look at her.

"We'll stop for a while."

Kaoru nodded. She sank onto a fallen tree trunk and rubbed her feet. Kenshin began to search the ground for something. Suddenly, he swooped and picked up what looked like a broken arrow. The arrow tip had fallen off and a bit of the shaft was broken but apart from that it was in fine condition. Smiling, Kenshin walked towards the river, neatly jumped and landed on a huge boulder sitting in shallow water. He peered into the water and smiled. He held the arrow shaft tightly in his fingers and waited. Kaoru watched him curiously. He sat as still as a statue, just staring into the water, not moving even a muscle. Suddenly his hand shot towards the water. When he pulled the shaft out again, there were a couple of fish skewered upon it. Kaoru felt her eyebrows shoot up in the air.

Kenshin came back, cleaned the fish and soon had them roasting in a fire. Kaoru couldn't help feeling slightly envious. When the fish were done, he offered one to her.

"Thank you." She bit into the fish eagerly. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, and this was a welcome meal. As she bit into the fish again, she couldn't help but think that something was strange about the prince today. He was too silent. Curious to figure out what happened, she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Where did you learn to fish like that?" She asked curiously. She didn't expect him to have any survival skills. As the crown prince of an empire as large and powerful as Kutou, he would forever be surrounded by people who waited on him hand and foot, even during martial campaigns. Where and how had he found the time or the patience to develop fishing skills?

Amethyst eyes glanced up. Kenshin stroked the dry cut on his cheek absently. His eyes fell upon the fish and he took a deep breath. "My master believes that a swordsman is incomplete if he can't take care of himself. So, every year he would bring me to the forest and leave me here. I had to find my way back to Kutou."

Kaoru stared incredulously. "He would leave you here - in the middle of nowhere?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Yes."

"But, what if the border patrol guards caught you?"

"I was never unfortunate enough for that to happen."

"Alright, what if you got lost?"

"That was the purpose of the exercise. I had to find my way back alone - as long as it took. So I picked up fishing like this gradually, among other things." He replied quietly.

Kaoru sat still. She couldn't imagine being left alone anywhere let alone a forest. She bit her lip. She couldn't help feel sorry for him.

"That's a terrible thing to do."

Kenshin smiled. "I used to feel that way too but it's been an advantage. I know this terrain like the back of my hand. I can find my way back to Kutou from practically anywhere and I can live off the land entirely."

"Perhaps, but it's still a twisted way to teach somebody. It's terrible, cruel, insensitive, and irresponsible."

Kenshin's soft laughter stopped Kaoru from elaborating on what she felt about his master's training methods.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked him suspiciously.

"Because you got it right. And you haven't even met him yet."

"I have no intention of meeting him." She took another bite of the fish.

"No?"

"No." She shook her head firmly.

A smile played upon his lips. "That might be a problem."

"Why?"

"You see, I don't see how you can escape meeting my master."

"Huh?"

"Well, we'll see how it goes." He let it go at that. Suddenly, he snapped his head up and turned towards the forest. Kaoru followed his gaze but all she could see was the dense overgrowth of trees. The sun had set and it was becoming dark. As the wind blew, she shivered.

Kenshin slowly turned around and looked at her. "Are you finished?" He asked calmly, as though nothing had happened.

Kaoru looked at her fish; the fishbone was almost empty of flesh. "Almost. Is something wrong?" She lowered her voice. Kenshin poked the fire with a stick.

"No. There's nothing wrong. We are going to have company soon."

Kaoru's eyes grew wide. "Wolves?" She swallowed nervously. She no longer had the appetite to finish.

Kenshin looked at her across the flames. "No, not wolves exactly, just another sort of animal, worse than wolves in my opinion."

Kaoru bit her lip. "Well, shouldn't we find some cover or something?"

"There's no time." Kenshin's face was taut. He patted a glowing ember into ash. Kaoru noticed that he was calmly putting the fire out without drawing any attention to himself. He had prodded the fire so many times that it had collapsed and now he was calmly grounding any embers still glowing into the ash so they went out.

Kaoru frowned. "Kenshin, why are you putting the fire out? We might need it."

He shook his head. "Not this time." He dropped the stick beside the stone he sat upon. "Here they come."

Kaoru held her breath. The silence was pierced by the screech of an owl. Kaoru winced. Moments later, she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She couldn't take it anymore. She turned around. Tall shadows seemed to emerge from the dark forest. Without the light of the fire, it seemed as though the shadows broke away from the darkness and surrounded them one by one in a circle. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what sort of animal it was. Bears? Lions? She backed away. The shadows closed in around them. Suddenly one of them stepped forward.

Kaoru blinked. She turned towards Kenshin. "These are men!" She whispered.

"Yes I know." Kenshin replied nonchalantly. Kaoru stared as the man stuck a piece of flint against a rock and lit a torch held by one of his comrades. Her eyes widened.

There were twelve men in total. They passed the torch around, each lighting a torch with it before flinging it aside. Their faces were covered with black cloth. Only the eyes were visible. Each man was armed with a sword and bow and arrows. Some had clubs as well. A few carried curved scimitars she had only read about in fairy tales. She held her breath. Who were they and what did they want?

The man who seemed to be their leader spoke, "Trespassing on our territory has a price." His voice was raspy and sent a chill down Kaoru's spine. He sauntered to a rock and sat down. His beady eyes seem to grasp and swallow anything that fell in their sight. There was something very dirty in the way he seemed to be sizing the both of them. His eyes darted from Kenshin to her hungrily.

Kenshin was the first to notice her clenched fists, her set jaw and the furious glance she sent towards the leader. He wasn't surprised. Kaoru wore her feelings on her sleeve. Artifice was not natural to her.

He turned to the leader. "Your territory? This land belongs to the Emperor of Kutou. Who are you?"

"I do not give my name to idle trespassers. This land is part of bandit territory and belongs to us! Hiko Seijurou has no claim to it."

Kenshin raised his eyebrows as though he were amused. He laughed softly. "Is that so? How very interesting."

"Entering our territory without so much as a by your leave is very reckless and very foolish." He flipped his cloak aside to reveal a huge flat sword. The blade glinted in the bandit's torchlight. He hoisted the weapon up to intimidate Kenshin.

Kenshin smirked. This sword was a baby compared to the Zanbatou Sano carried around, and like the true friend Sanosuke was, he'd given him plenty of practice fighting it.

One of the bandits standing behind Kaoru fidgeted, "We're wasting time. Let's finish them both and leave them for the wolves. We should head back now."

He was answered by another bandit, one who stood next to the leader. "Finish them both? That sounds a little harsh." He took a step forward. "We should let one go, just to be fair." The leery laughter of a dozen men filled the air.

A third bandit spoke up, "The little lady seems to be getting angry."

The leader smiled. He stood and crossed the small distance to where Kenshin and Kaoru stood together. He approached Kaoru. She stepped back and glared at him, her eyes glinting. The bandit leader smiled broadly. "Well, well, she's got fire….you're a feisty one for sure."

"There's no need to be so nervous. A spirited woman like you is precious. I wouldn't hurt you for the world. Killing her would be such a waste, wouldn't it men?" The men surrounding them laughed. Kaoru looked away in revulsion.

The leader stepped forward again. He lifted his hand to touch her when Kenshin's voice cut in and stopped him, "If you so much as look at her again, I'm going to leave you in a state where your men will have sift through this river to bury you in one piece." His voice was soft, no louder than a whisper but those who heard it felt chilled to the bone.

The bandit leader turned aggressively and pulled his sword out. He roared at Kenshin, challenging him to attack. Kenshin pulled Kaoru back and thrust his wakizashi into her hands.

"Stay here, and if anyone decides to become too adventurous, don't hesitate," he spoke in a low voice. Kaoru looked at the wakizashi in her hand. Kenshin took two steps forward.

He looked at each bandit in the eye and spoke, "It doesn't have to be this way. You can still leave. Once I draw my sword, there will be no holding back. Walk away now and this will be the end of it. I won't stop you."

The bandits roared with laughter. Some doubled over, with their hands on their knees, laughing uncontrollably. Kenshin rolled his eyes. He shook his katana loose in the sheath. "Don't say I didn't warn you", he muttered darkly.

Kaoru watched in shock as the bandits surrounded him. She hesitantly took a step forward. This was madness! Twelve men against one, and Kenshin in a foul temper - she had to stop them before somebody got hurt. Kenshin looked so angry she didn't know what he'd do.

"Kenshin….don't," she called out, "Please don't. We can talk to them…come back….please." Her voice trailed away to a whisper as she saw the menacing look in the bandits' eyes.

The bandit leader twirled his flat sword in a show of strength. He sneered, "Once I'm through with you, you'll have exactly fifteen minutes to die and you're going to be begging me for mercy every second of those fifteen minutes." He charged towards Kenshin. Kenshin waited for him and slid to the side just as the bandit leader brought his sword down. He pulled his katana out in a single fluid motion and cut, slicing away the bandit leader's arm.

Kaoru gasped. She covered her mouth with her fingers in shock. The bandit leader froze for a second before collapsing in a heap at Kenshin's feet. He stood shakily and steadied himself. His face twisted with rage and pain as he swung his huge sword once more. Kenshin stepped around him and plunged his katana into his chest. The leader cried out in pain and staggered to the ground. Kenshin tore through the rest of the bandits like a vengeful spirit. He moved so fast, he seemed no more than a trick of the eyes. His blade glinted and glistened with the blood of the bandits. Kaoru shook with horror. She dropped to the ground in shock, watching horrified as bodies piled around her.

Kenshin stood beside her, silently cleaning the blade of his sword. He held it up, inspected it closely for stains and slid it back into the sheath. Kaoru shook with impotent rage. Kenshin had massacred a dozen men in front of her eyes and she'd been able to do nothing. She had stood as a mute spectator as men were killed in front of her.

She stiffened as he knelt beside her and asked, "Kaoru, are you alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder. She slapped his hand away and turned to face him. Her eyes were bright with the moisture of tears that threatened to spill over.

"Don't touch me! Your hands have blood on them."

Kenshin stared at her in shock. Kaoru bit her lip. "How could you? Didn't you feel even the slightest hesitation before you killed them all? Is it so easy for you to kill, that you don't even care about what you're doing anymore?"

"Kaoru…those men…you heard them. Don't you realize what they wanted? I had to protect you."

Kaoru shook her head adamantly. "Don't! Don't justify what you did. You didn't have to kill them. You could have protected me without shedding blood. They didn't even stand a chance against you but you still killed them. Why?"

"Because I couldn't stand the way they were looking at you!"

"So? You killed them for it?"

"They were bad men Kaoru!"

"You're a bad man for every citizen in Konan, so should I kill you?" She screamed back at him. Kaoru hung her head as the tears she was trying to stop began to fall. Her breath hitched and her voice came in spurts. "Why did…you…have to do this? Doesn't your soul cry when you see someone get hurt by your hand? Doesn't your heart bleed?" She breathed heavily. "Why are you so cold?"

Kenshin felt as though a knife twisted in his heart. Seeing Kaoru cry like this hurt him more than ten strokes of Shishio's Fire Sword had. She was devastated. She cried without caring. She buried her face in her hands and rocked to and fro, sobbing.

He tried to pull her into her arms, but she pushed him back and turned away. Between her sobs he could hear her speak, "I'm such a fool for thinking you were different. Today, I started to hope that you were more than a ruthless killer but…you proved just how wrong I was about you."

Kaoru wiped her tears. "You can only kill, Kenshin."

He felt helpless. He tried to comfort her but she pushed his hands away, as though his touch burned her. He frowned. She didn't understand anything. He gave them a chance to leave but they didn't. He didn't even start this. What was he supposed to do? Ignore the naked lust he saw in their eyes? There was nothing else he could have done. Why didn't she understand?

Kenshin stood and propped his katana against a rock. He removed his gi and set to work, burying the bodies of the bandits. He knew that Kaoru probably thought he was a monster and an insensitive, cruel person drunk on his own power who walked about arbitrarily killing people. But that wasn't true. He had perhaps acted a little rashly but the truth was that those bandits had not been willing to step away.

If he had felt the desire to forego fighting from even one of them, he would have spared them. Much of his sword style depended on the correct reading of ki. The bandits' ki was soaked with blood and lust. They wanted to be rid of him so that they would free to do whatever they pleased to Kaoru. Had he not killed them, they definitely would have killed him and carried Kaoru off. He knew that he was branded a demon because his skill with the sword left no room for error. The techniques of Hiten Mitsuryugi were fatal and deadly; they couldn't be softened. They were meant to be deadly. But, there was no way of explaining this to Kaoru unless she was willing to listen.

He sighed. The last of the bandits was buried. He lowered his head solemnly in prayer, praying for the dragons to lead the souls of the men he had vanquished back to their celestial halls where they could forget their turmoil and find peace.

He turned around. Kaoru sat staring at him. Her eyes were red and seemed slightly swollen. He put his gi back on and sat down next to her. She didn't speak. He decided to stay quiet until she spoke.

Kaoru watched him out of the corner of her eye. When he said nothing, she glanced at him and asked, "Why did you bury them?"

Kenshin looked at her. "Kaoru, I had no personal enmity with those men. They were bad men but they were also humans. I killed them because I wanted to keep you safe but I will still pay for killing them. Killing doesn't make me happy; it drowns my soul in turmoil but it has to be done. You can choose to believe me or not, that's your choice. But if I hadn't killed those men, they would have killed me, and then, my dear princess, those men you're crying over…they would've taken turns to use you and when they'd had their fill, they would've thrown you away."

He stood. "I don't care if you think I'm a monster, but they forced my hand. If that's a sin in your opinion, then so be it. I'd rather be a sinner than let anyone even think of hurting you."

Kaoru also stood. "You have no right over me Kenshin. There is nothing between us!"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "That is what you think."

Kaoru stepped back. The night surrounded them and Kaoru began to slowly peel away the wool she had wrapped over her eyes. Kenshin's reasons for doing whatever he did was finally clear to her and this time she didn't try to camouflage his intentions as territorial arrogance. It was no longer possible to pretend she didn't realize what was happening.

**Author's Note**

Hello lovely ladies and fine gentlemen (if there are any)

It's a nice, longish chapter for everyone! Hope you all like this chapter. Please leave a review or send me an email to let me know what you're thinking about the story. All reviews are loved, pampered, appreciated and fussed over by moi.

Loves

krystalMage

**Next Chapter** : - Celebration in Kutou in Kenshin's honour, Kaoru finds an unexpected new ally in Kutou, Aoshi gets stuck doing most of the explaining to Hiko who is furious that Kaoru is alive and Sano decides to change tactics where Megumi is concerned.

**Review Replies **

SRAS9 - I'm enjoying the regular updates too. Earlier what used to happen was that I was trying to update five stories simultaneously and that doesn't work. Seriously, because each story is different and well, Kenshin is different in each and every one so it was driving me mad, now, its much more comfy. Tomoe and Enishi have a lot of issues but they are going to find ways to work together even though they can't stand each other.

SoreNoMiko – Hahahaha, you're so right. In fact, this chapter Enishi kind of pushes them together, doesn't he?

Kokoronagomu – Kenshin's problems are about to be compounded, for one thing he can't keep what he feels from Kaoru which gets a little tricky. Since she's hell bent on being at Denial Street for now.

J Luc Pitard – You're right about Tomoe but I'm not following the canon story by a long shot. Most characters in this story don't behave as they do in the canon. I doubt Aoshi is ever this talkative but I agree that Tomoe's purpose in the canon is to be a sort of pathfinder for Kenshin. She shows him that there is another way to live and redeem himself. Thanks for the input!

Eloa – We don't mind a Bad Kenshin do we?

Aoki Aya – Apologies. Still no Sanosuke. But he finally shows up next chapter. Thanks for putting up with my meandering story telling.

Pinaydilag – Enishi tortures himself a lot more than he needs too. My only problem with him is that while he recognises that there is no future for Tomoe's relationship with Kenshin, he is willing to go to any lengths to "get" Kenshin for her. It's like Kenshin is a shiny toy. And also, he tends to put women in boxes. – loose and chaste. He's of the school of thought that says a woman has no desire, or no right to desire either. He's too much of a stuffed shirt you know. And finally, somebody sees Kenshin as worthy of Kaoru! Yes!

Skenshingumi – Kenshin's willingness to believe Tomoe is more because of the love he has for Kaoru. He doesn't want to think that Tomoe might have been lying because it puts him in a precarious position. Because, despite the posturing and I-don't-give-a-damn attitude, I think he doesn't want to think that his actions might hurt Tomoe. Because then he would be somehow responsible and he doesn't want anything (including a guilty conscience) getting in the way of a future with Kaoru.

Sakura Kaoru-Chan – Are you happy Kamatari and Katsu are back?

Hotaru Himura – Thank you! Kenshin and Kaoru forever!

SnowCharms – Enishi is too busy hatching plots to notice any member of the opposite sex, le alone Kaoru. Let's keep it that way. Haha.

Saki-Hime – Keeping away from Kaoru doesn't do much for Kenshin's temper though. He gets very snappish. Haha.

LittleDragon5 – An Aoshi/Kaoru story? I might, if I get a good, plausible plot. Fingers crossed!

Melay – Well Tomoe and Megumi can't stand each other anyway and now battle lines will be drawn deeper since Megumi stands by Kenshin no matter what.

Bbzachariah – You know, the speed at which the story is going is a concern for me too. I know so many people want Ken and Kaoru to get together ASAP but I can't be unrealistic. So it's a pain for me too, but here I am, trudging along. Thirty odd chapters is quite possible but then you never know, I might just hurry up. Hehe. Thank you for the review and I am so happy you're enjoying the story.

Shadow of the lost – Thank you!

ToreHime Sama – Well some of Enishi's nosy behaviour is modelled upon the brother of a former classmate. Scary stuff.

Nma5 – Kenshin isn't on heat all the time but he likes to let Kaoru know he's attracted to her. Lol. Misao is in the story but she makes an appearance later.

Kitana18 – Kaoru needs to cut him some slack. Yeah?

Kimithe water spirit – Thank you! No, Tomoe won't be faking being pregnant. She's too confident of the "effect" she thinks she has on Kenshin to do anything of that sort. Enishi is going to be the more dangerous Yukishiro hence forth. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Akanke – Yes Sano is back next chappie and Megumi is too. Enjoi!


	19. Kutou

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 19: Kutou**

* * *

**Recap**

He stood. "I don't care if you think I'm a monster, but they forced my hand. If that's a sin in your opinion, then so be it. I'd rather be a sinner than let anyone even think of hurting you."

Kaoru also stood. "You have no right over me Kenshin. There is nothing between us!"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "That is what you think."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Kaoru stepped back and turned away. She sat down once more and took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter what I think. That's the truth."

Kenshin scoffed. His eyes flashed challengingly, "The truth? The truth, princess, is that you're scared." He picked up the flint and the bandit leader's tinder box. Retrieving a torch from the ground, he lit it and held it aloft. The rippling light of the fire shone brightly upon his face. Kaoru snapped her head up and frowned.

She stood and walked towards him. Standing in front of him, she demanded, "Scared? Of what?"

He didn't answer immediately. His eyes bore into her. She nervously took a step back. There was a shadow lurking in his eyes that unsettled her. The corner of his mouth turned upward as he replied, "You are scared of yourself."

"What?" She replied incredulously, gaping at him as though he'd grown two heads.

"You _need_ me to be a monster Kaoru, so that you don't forget that you're supposed to hate me. I can sit here all night arguing with you about what's right or wrong but its no use, is it? You've already made up your mind and you won't allow yourself to stray from it." Kenshin stepped around her and walked ahead. "But it's alright. I'm curious. How long can you go on fighting yourself?"

Kaoru bunched her fingers into fists and growled in annoyance. "Are we even talking about the same thing any more?"

Kenshin ignored her. He quietly looked around, checking for any more unpleasant surprises. They should have been within sight of the check post by now. Aoshi and the rest of the camp had probably reached. They had to hurry. He really didn't want to waste any more time loitering about in the forest. It wasn't safe and…..he was exhausted. He didn't show it but the fight right now and the fall earlier had drained him. His injuries had just begun to stabilise; he didn't want any more trouble now.

He walked on in silence, tired of her stubbornness and refusal to just things be, tired of her blinkered approach to what had happened, and tired of his inability to wrench her out of his heart and thoughts. Kaoru caught up with him quickly and stood in his way.

"Answer me."

"What?" Anger, annoyance and exhaustion made him curt.

"You can't say these nonsensical things and then refuse to speak. It's insulting." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly.

"What do you want me to say to you?"

"You destroyed my entire world and you still have the gall to tell me I need a reason to hate you? I don't need to paint you as a monster Kenshin! You are one!"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Back to the weather beaten story again, are we? Fine! Then you better get ready to hate a lot of people Kaoru, because now you're going to Kutou – every second person you will meet at the palace will be someone involved directly or indirectly in the invasion." He stepped around her and continued on his way.

"Although, I wonder….after pouring so much hate inside, how much of your heart will survive." He threw over his shoulder.

Kaoru stared after him. She was silent. For the first time since she had been in his company, she had no ready answer to his words. Her mouth opened and shut, trying to find something to say so she could have the last word, but her brain was not helping her. The hatred that she had held on to for such a long time was steadily slipping away but it was accompanied by a feeling of guilt that was so powerful that she was compelled to repeatedly retrace her steps back, to a time when she felt nothing but anger and rage against Kenshin. She didn't really hate Kenshin, not anymore. Not after everything that had happened today. How could she hate a man who risked his life for her without a moment's hesitation? How could she hate someone who had protected her even as his body reeled under the wear of fatal injury?

She couldn't. She'd be lying if she still claimed to hate him. Kaoru bit her lip. And she'd done exactly that just now. She claimed to hate him because….because she _was_ scared. She shut her eyes. Despite all her efforts to keep him away, he had somehow managed to worm himself into her thoughts and her life. He occupied as much space in her thoughts as her family. In the beginning, it had just been about venting her frustrations, so she would sit and simmer, and think of him angrily – he was cruel, he wasn't letting her go, he had her Da's sword, he had the audacity to kiss her….somewhat. But the irony was she hadn't even realized when she started thinking more and more about how annoying Kenshin was and less about how she would find Soujirou and Okita. She had begun to accept the fact that maybe she would never see her family again; they had become memories.

She sat on the ground unsteadily. Her fingers closed around a round, flat pebble. She tried to squeeze it as hard as she could to force herself to break out of thoughts of the life she had left behind. The life she had left behind. Nobody had forced her to run away from Katsu's care; she had done that all on her own. She hissed softly. It was a rash, stupid and arrogant thing to have done. She had thought she was better off alone, that she could easily take care of herself. She had been so stupid!

Vanity. It took extreme vanity to do something like that and she had learnt her lesson subsequently. What had she been thinking? She had defeated the entire purpose of her clandestine escape from Kansan. She wound up in the enemy's camp in less than a day. And Kenshin had been on her mind…ever since. She sighed and stood slowly.

Was she scared? Probably. She was scared of what would happen if she forgave Kenshin and forgot his part in the invasion. If she stopped seeing Kenshin as the man who destroyed her world, she would have to think of him as the man who saved her life….and she was afraid that this discovery would lead to finding out other, non-objectionable, perhaps – endearing qualities he possessed. That she was beginning to feel a definite physical pull towards him despite the fact that she was happily engaged and spoken for, spelt catastrophe.

* * *

Nestled among the craggy formations of rock, the first Kutou check post was built along the river. The Willow was a massive river; its source was situated in the extreme northern region of the empire. It slowly curved and danced through the empire, bringing water and life to thousands of people.

Large boulders had been cut to accommodate numerous small flights of stairs that led to the check post from the river bank. The stairs were camouflaged very well by the boulders, practically invisible unless one knew what to look for. Most people travelling this road to Kutou were unaware of this shortcut and took the long road, winding around the mountain to reach the check post.

A lithe figure stood at the head of the stairs, watching the approach to her vantage point with keen eyes. She was covered from head to toe, a cloth mask covering most of her face and tight, form fitting clothing covering her body. A thin leather belt encircled her waist, carrying the necessary tools of her trade – kunai and throwing stars; a knife was concealed in the black strips of cloth bandaged to her left leg. She stood perfectly still, her clothing making her seem like a dark patch of shadow resting against a rock. As her quarry came into sight, her lips curled and she crouched. Her body was taut, coiled like a spring. She waited.

The crimson flag of Kutou fluttered imperiously above the check post. The golden dragon emblazoned in the middle of the flag seemed almost black in the darkness of the night. Huge barges, lit with hundreds of lamps, lay anchored all along the river bank. Officials scuttled about, checking people and cargo. The great invading army of Kutou had returned victorious. The soldiers would be taken to the imperial city in a victory procession of boats, with people crowding both banks of the river, cheering their soldiers. The check post had donned a festive look; red silk lanterns hung at every few metres, torches and flags adorned the boarding area. The barges were full. The victory fleet of ships was ready to set sail; they only waited for their commander, the man who had led them to this victory.

Anchored away from the large fleet of boats, was a single ship with red sails. A dragon carved in wood peered out from under the bow of the ship. In place of an escutcheon was an intricately carved symbol that hid the name of the Lightning Emperor in its design. Aoshi stood at the bulwark of the ship and looked out towards the mountains expectantly. He had been standing there for a long time. His limbs felt stiff and his legs grew tired but he refused to move. He remained obstinately uncomfortable, waiting.

His cold eyes betrayed the tiredness he felt in every fibre of his body. But he couldn't even think of resting now. He had to wait until Kenshin returned. He closed his eyes. He'd already sent word of their return to the Emperor; by now the entire city would be in the throes of celebration. They couldn't wait for their champion, their prince to return so they could give him a welcome that befitted a hero. The festivities would continue for days.

And in the midst of the entire hullabaloo, he had to figure out a way to explain Kaoru's presence to Hiko. Aoshi hung his head and sighed. He hoped Kenshin hadn't gotten into any trouble. He was supposed to have reached by now. Tearing his eyes away from the river, Aoshi looked back towards the cabin to find Hannya standing at the door. He had just arrived. Aoshi looked at him expectantly. Hannya nodded once. Aoshi raised an eyebrow and allowed one corner of his mouth to tilt upwards. Kenshin had arrived.

* * *

Kenshin turned around to look for Kaoru. She was walking a few paces behind him, carefully placing her feet upon wobbly pebbles and loose stones that lay along the river. Sometimes, the stones shifted underfoot and her ankle or knee would twist, making her lose her breath but on the whole she was holding up quite well. She hadn't once complained of being tired, hurt or being rushed. She quietly followed the path he picked out for them, nodding quietly when he asked if she would be alright climbing over a particularly large boulder to speed up the journey. He sighed. They were both exhausted. The only reason they were still standing was due to sheer force of will.

He stood silently as Kaoru joined him. She panted softly, resting the palms of her hands on her knees. She straightened and looked at him, "What now?"

He held his hand out without a word. Kaoru stared at it. He looked at her and tilted his head. She raised her eyebrows in question. Kenshin sighed and took her hand quickly before she could protest. He hoisted himself up a stone ledge, leading to the first flight of stairs and pulled Kaoru up after him. As he helped her steady herself, someone spoke from behind him. Kaoru felt his hands freeze on her waist.

"Welcome home, Your Highness." It was a smooth, lilting voice that brought a smile to Kenshin's face. Kaoru watched as his eyes grew wide and his lips curved in a slight smile.

"You…are a sight for sore eyes, Omasu." He let Kaoru's hand fall to her side and stepped away from her. He turned to face the slender ninja who was kneeling on the ground. She removed her mask as she stood and smiled amiably at the sight of him. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed Kaoru.

Omasu bowed, "Welcome to Kutou, Princess." Her eyes shone with delight and she bit her lip to contain her excitement. It wasn't everyday that the supposedly ice-cold, arrogant crown prince brought home the daughter of an enemy, a woman who was supposed to be dead. It was all so terribly romantic. Omasu quivered with joy. She knew that the laws of Kutou demanded that the princess be put to death but she only had to witness the way Kenshin looked at her to know that for the first time since Hiko Seijurou the Thirteenth had ascended the throne of Kutou, this law was about to break.

Brimming with curiosity, she watched every glance, word and gesture between the two royals like a hawk. When Lord Aoshi had told her that the Crown Prince was delayed and would enter Kutou later and with a female companion, her imagination had veritably run helter-skelter conjuring up scenarios and situations that would inevitably rise out of such an unparalleled and unheard of departure from norm. She had spent the better part of the night babbling about what a surprise it all was, how she had never dreamt this could happen, how the court ladies would faint after hearing of it and so on.

It wasn't until Hannya politely told her to shut up that she gave her tongue some rest. So she had left the ship where Lord Aoshi and the rest of the Oniwabanshu were waiting to keep watch out at the limits of the check post, where the prince was expected. Hannya had issued a gag order on Beshimi, the only Oniwabanshu ninja who had any contact with the princess. Denied of even the most basic information about the mysterious woman, she had been determined to be the first person to interact with her when she arrived.

It wasn't difficult to see why they had left her alive, she was exquisitely beautiful. Her best feature was her eyes – mysterious cobalt blue. Omasu was perfectly content to stand gawking at the princess but a subtle cough in her direction by the prince made her spring into action. She quickly pulled herself together and stepped towards the Konan princess. She pulled a cloak seemingly out of nowhere and deftly wrapped it around her.

Kaoru blinked. Where did she have room for a cloak on that outfit? The cloth practically clung to her like a second skin, hugging every curve. She glanced at Kenshin, but he looked as though it was completely natural for a cloak to find hiding space on the girl's body. Even if it was impossible. Kaoru caught herself before it became obvious that she was staring.

Curtseying gracefully, Omasu said, "Lord Aoshi told me about you, my lady."

Kaoru forced her lips into a smile but was too tired to say anything. She watched carefully as Omasu discreetly put her arm through hers and helped her up the stairs till they reached a carriage. Kaoru turned to look for Kenshin. She was slightly bewildered at the pace at which Omasu moved and the breathy way she was talking to her about things that seemed frivolous, things that she wasn't concerned about, things that she suspected that were intended to make her turn her attention elsewhere so Omasu wouldn't have to deal with any of her questions as she bundled her into the carriage.

"Give it a rest Omasu. The princess is tired; she's had to walk a very long way." Kenshin's voice cut in. Omasu looked sheepish.

"My apologies, Princess." She tucked a heavy blanket around her legs and stepped out of the carriage. Kaoru looked outside. Kenshin stood watching her. He made no move to enter the carriage after her. She suddenly realized he was not going to accompany her.

"Aren't you….aren't you coming with me?" She asked breathlessly. She leaned slightly towards the window, towards him. Kaoru was surprised at herself and the look on Kenshin's face showed that he too, found it strange that she should want him near now after the argument they'd had earlier. He gave her a piercing glance before looking away, but not before she saw the remnants of anger and hurt lurking in his eyes. Kaoru shrank back. She looked away. He was reasonably justified in being annoyed at her but this wasn't the time to take it out on her, was it? After all, he was the only person she knew in Kutou, apart from Aoshi. It was natural for her to want him by her side. That's all it was, wasn't it?

Her shoulders slumped, mostly due to the fact she was about to collapse from exhaustion but also a little because she knew that he was upset with her and strangely, it bothered her. Kenshin placed his hand on the door of the carriage. "This is as far as I can go with you, Kaoru." He spoke gently, his expression soft and his eyes warm, like he had forgotten all about what had happened earlier.

"I don't understand….where are you going?"

"I can't abandon my men…well, not anymore." He looked at the ground. "Omasu will accompany you to the capital. She will take care of you." He noticed the alarm rising in her eyes. "You don't need to worry about anything. Omasu is very capable and you can trust her. She's going to take you to one of my palaces. You'll be safe there, and nobody will disturb you until you're ready to meet Shishou…I mean, meet the Emperor."

"Oh." Something sank inside her chest. Kaoru stared at her hands in her lap. For all the times she had wished to be rid of him, she had never thought that when the time came, she would be feeling nervous without him. Kenshin watched her and thought of the million things he wanted to say to her but didn't know how. He couldn't say anything; he felt frozen.

"_You have no right over me. There is nothing between us!"_ Her words still stung in his ears. She was right. He had no right to her. He had no right…to protect her, to comfort her, to look at her like he did, to touch her like he wanted to, to kiss her like he almost had, to love her like he had begun to – he had no right to any of it….not yet.

He bunched his fingers into a fist. He really didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to let her out of his sight for even a second but it could not be helped. He had to stay away from her now. He could not afford to be at her side before he'd had a chance to speak to Hiko.

Besides, he didn't want to put her through the victory ceremony and procession. He knew what the sight of several thousand people cheering and dancing in joy over the invasion of Konan would do to her and he wanted nothing to disturb her further. She needed to rest, regain her strength and gain some peace of mind. Much as he hated to admit it, he knew that she wouldn't do any of those things with him around. So he had to let her go.

The silence dragged like a dead weight between the two of them. Kenshin turned away and looked around. He saw Omasu standing to one side of the carriage. She had given him enough space to converse privately with Kaoru. She was now waiting for his signal. Hannya and Beshimi stood next to her, with Aoshi in the background, speaking to one of their captains. He turned to Kaoru.

"Kaoru, I need to give some instructions to Omasu. I'll be back soon." He looked reassuringly at her. Kaoru nodded slowly. As he turned to leave, a tiny part of her wanted to catch his sleeve, call him back, and tell him, "Don't go". She stared at his back as it receded away from her, turning the two words over and over in her head.

Kenshin beckoned to Omasu. She was beside him in a flash.

"Omasu," He spoke solemnly, "I'm entrusting the Princess to your care. Take her to my summer palace and stay there till I send word." Omasu stood with her head slightly bent; she dragged her lower lip under her teeth and began to chew it as she listened. "Nobody must know about the princess while you're there."

Omasu nodded. Kenshin emphasized, "Nobody, Omasu."

The ninja lifted her head. The skin at the edge of her eyes crinkled as she scrunched her nose and asked warily, "Not even the Emperor, Your Highness?"

Kenshin snorted. "Especially not the Emperor."

Omasu's eyes grew wide and she shut her mouth with a snap. "Understood, Your Highness."

"In fact, as far as the Emperor is concerned, you're not there. That palace is empty. Understood?"

The ninja nodded. "You need not worry, Your Highness. I will take very good care of her. " Omasu bowed and took up position at the carriage door.

Kenshin turned as he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. "You're late."

"Couldn't help it." Kenshin rubbed his forehead wearily. The action was not lost on Aoshi. He steered Kenshin aside.

"What happened?"

Kenshin stuck his lower lip out and grimaced. "Bandits. The dirty kind."

Aoshi frowned. He shot a glance towards the carriage. "Please tell me you got away without turning it into a blood bath." Kenshin stared at the ground. Aoshi swore.

"How did Kaoru take it?" He asked.

Kenshin exhaled. "Well, how should I explain it? One minute before the bandits arrived she was the epitome of adoring gratitude, when they were gone, she was spitting fire and telling me I disgust her." Kenshin replied sarcastically. He crossed his arms across his chest. "It's like I'm the biggest villain the gods have created. Everything that goes wrong in her life has to be my fault."

Aoshi struggled to keep a straight face. Kenshin turned his eyes towards the sky, "It gets better. You would think that hearing that harangue from her would cure me of any amorous tendencies I had, but all I could think of was how painfully desirable she looked at that moment."

Aoshi held a hand up. "You're confusing me. So, are you complaining about her temper or did you just admit to having sensual thoughts about her while she was screaming at you?"

Kenshin shrugged. "I'm just saying….."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "What? What are you saying?"

A mischievous smile sneaked across Kenshin's lips. "Well, I'm rather fond of her temper and I don't mind the screaming. Screaming is good. Screaming is promising."

Aoshi looked pale for a moment. He recovered quickly, put his stern face on and frowned. Kenshin glanced at him and laughed.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Aoshi growled.

Kenshin hung his head. "I can't help it. I don't choose for these things to happen. They just do." He groaned. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong Aoshi, but this woman has me reeling."

It was Aoshi's turn to smirk. "You're losing your touch." Kenshin quirked an eyebrow up and smiled good naturedly. Maybe Aoshi was right. He really was losing his touch. Kaoru was the first woman he'd met who didn't want to have anything to do with him. She wasn't even willing to be civil to him, for crying out loud. And he doubted that her opinion would change anytime soon.

The sound of a great horn made him lift his head and watch the proceedings on the river. The barges had begun to sail, which meant it was time for him to board the ship with Aoshi and make his way to the heart of the city, where Hiko would be waiting with the entire court.

Kenshin sighed. Aoshi glanced at him, "It's time to go. Your cabin is ready. You should get some sleep once we board the ship. I will wake you well in time to clean up and dress."

Kenshin nodded. He gestured to Omasu who stood watchfully outside the carriage. At his signal, she nimbly jumped into the carriage and shut the door. Aoshi watched Omasu keenly. She was the first and only floating member of the Oniwabanshu. Unlike the other members of the secret group, her loyalties lay firmly with Kenshin instead of with Hiko.

Some time in the past three years, Kenshin had decided that he was fed up with Oniwabanshu ninjas preying on his privacy and reporting every last detail to Hiko, so he recruited Omasu to become his ninja. He had found her at one of the exclusive establishments frequented by nobles only that doubled as a gambling den. He and Sanosuke had been on a rare, discreet card-playing night and she had almost half the patrons whipped and in debt. She was a fabulous cardsharp and as the fight that resulted of her being caught showed, her combat skills were impressive. Kenshin quietly and unobtrusively 'helped' her escape the gambling house that night, with the promise that she'd work for him. He persuaded Okina to take her under his wing and polish her skills. The crafty old man had been pleasantly surprised to find that Omasu had all the makings of a fine ninja; he lost no time in incorporating her into the Oniwabanshu, albeit as a variable.

She was a part of the Oniwabanshu, went on certain missions with the rest of the ninjas but she answered to nobody but Kenshin. She kept her eye upon people and news that affected the prince; her mission was to protect him and his interests, putting her sometimes at odds with the rest of the group.

Aoshi glanced at Kenshin, "So, where are you taking her?"

Kenshin turned and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "You don't actually expect me to answer that?"

Aoshi's smiled waned. "No. I was just trying my luck and testing you. I wanted to check – if you realized what it means to be back here."

"And?"

"I think that Kaoru is in safe hands. You will not let anything happen to her. However restless you may be over her, you haven't forgotten yourself."

"I've been trained well."

When Aoshi looked again, the familiar mask of self-assured arrogance was back on Kenshin's face. He looked away with a tinge of sadness colouring his eyes. His cousin had retreated inside the persona of the prince for now. It was painful but necessary. The irony of their lives was that for all their power, they had to hide their true selves from everyone around them, including the people they loved. Aoshi smiled sadly and stepped away.

The driver drew the reins together. Kenshin stepped back. Behind him, Aoshi stood watching the barges set sail. Now that they were in Kutou, there was nothing more he could do for Kaoru. Out on the battlefield, he could still bend to Kenshin's will but, here, in the heart of the Kutou empire and at Hiko Seijurou's seat of power there could be no denial of his true position – as the Emperor's faithful and ever-obedient servant. He had always known that this day would come – when his path would separate from Kenshin's. He also knew that if, in the future, Hiko ordered him to finish what he should have done in Konan itself, he could not refuse. He would have to kill Kaoru, without a moment's hesitation; even if it tormented him, even if it sowed bitterness in his bond with Kenshin or destroyed their bond altogether. It was easy to call Kenshin's love for Kaoru a phase or a fling but he knew that something had changed in Kenshin since Kaoru had come into his life, and if she were taken away….it would shatter him. It was better then, that he knew nothing of Kenshin's plans for Kaoru.

Kaoru suddenly turned to the window and looked at Kenshin. He didn't meet her eyes but kept staring at one of the wheels of the carriage. Kaoru swallowed. Her knuckles turned white as she wrung her hands together. The horses stamped their feet, eager to tear down the road. The driver snapped the reins together and flicked them onto the horses' backs. The four horses moved as one and the carriage sped down the wharf and onto the road that raced straight towards the massive doors of the imperial city.

* * *

The landscape changed as fields gave way to the mansions of aristocrats before the wall of the imperial city appeared rose out of the ground. The wall was massive, like a solid curtain between the imperial city and the outside world. Tiny trapdoors dotted the wall, strategically placed to serve as windows for archers and guards in the event of an attack. The wall to the city measured seven feet wide and was fifteen feet high. The wall ran in a circle around the imperial city broken only at two points to allow for two gates, both of which remained open during the day but were shut at night for the safety of citizens.

The carriage slowed considerably. The high roads had been empty but the hustle-bustle of the city would not allow for faster movement. The roads were packed with people, carriages, horses and hand drawn rickshaws. Yantai was a prosperous city and its citizens wealthy. Opulence and grandeur was reflected in the architecture of the city and on the citizens themselves. Ladies were dressed in rich silks while men displayed brilliant gems encrusted on the hilts of swords and ornamental daggers.

Kaoru had previously fallen asleep in the carriage but she was awake now and watched the city outside with undisguised interest. It was all so overwhelming. When the carriage had gone through the gate, her mouth fell open. She had never seen such a huge gate before. Why had nobody told her that Yantai was so immense? It could have contained five cities the size of Kansan and still have room to spare. And the city! It seemed like a magical land. Bright lights, lanterns covered in festive red, curving stairs disappearing into houses, terraces that looked out onto the street, perfectly paved streets – the paint was fresh on every house and shop. Flame throwers, knife catchers and acrobats performed in the streets. Kaoru watched spellbound as a girl turned ten back flips one after the other in quick succession. A man appeared at her window holding a bunch of pebbles in his hand. He shook his fist and blew upon it, and when he opened it again, the rocks had turned into butterflies that flew in her face. She gasped.

Omasu leaned over and dropped a few coins into his hands and he disappeared. Kaoru turned to look at her, excitement bubbling in her eyes.

Omasu smiled. "This is nothing. Wait till you see the celebration at the imperial palace." She grinned. Kaoru turned to the window once more to discover that there was a small crowd of performers running beside the carriage. Omasu swore lightly. She stood and shoved her sleeves up.

"I knew it. You can't give money to one without the whole bunch running after you." She grumbled. Kaoru looked on helplessly as Omasu shoo-ed all of them away from the window. She drew the curtains and fastened them.

Sitting once more, she sighed and glanced sheepishly at Kaoru. "I apologise Princess but right now, my priority to take you somewhere safe as soon as possible. It's not safe for you to be seen yet."

Kaoru felt a chill run down her spine. Omasu was not joking. She was absolutely serious. She remembered Aoshi's words.

"_I don't want to kill you and I don't want to see you being killed by someone else either. But if you come to Kutou, I will be forced to do so."_

Aoshi had changed his mind about killing her and Kenshin…well, she knew he didn't want her dead. But, what about other people? What if there were other nobles or officers privy to what fate was supposed to have handed to her? She was under no delusion that staying in Kutou would be an easy task. Aoshi and Kenshin had sheltered her against the animosity and ill will that she would have had to deal with had she been on her own. But now, in Kutou, it was going to be completely different. They both had duties, extensive duties that would make it difficult for them to look out for her even if they wanted. She was truly going to be on her own here and she would have to watch each step.

The carriage jolted a little as the road curved, then swept up in an incline. The driver cracked the reins on the horses' backs' bidding them to ride faster. As they approached the gates of the palace, two guards appeared, and pulled the doors apart, allowing the carriage free way inside. The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance to the palace. The driver tied the reins to an iron loop beside his seat and jumped off to open the door. Omasu nimbly alighted and looked around. A meticulous looking lady strode up to her and peered curiously at the drawn curtains of the carriage.

"Omasu? This is a surprise. I was not expecting you here."

Omasu turned to the old caretaker of the palace. The lady was trustworthy and very discreet. She pulled her aside.

"Mira, there's a lady in that carriage. She is of royal birth. Prince Kenshin's orders are to take care of her till he sends word. Mind, she is precious to him and he does not want anyone to know of her presence here. Think you can manage that?"

If she was surprised, Mira did not show it. She had been caretaker of the Prince's palace for years and he trusted her implicitly because nothing fazed her. It took a woman with steel in her veins to manage a residence whose owner was as volatile as Kenshin. She did not even blink. She simply nodded and quickly approached the carriage. She nodded at the driver, who held the door open.

Kaoru took a deep breath and stared at the soft beams of sunlight that illuminated thousands of dust particles in the air. There was a knock on the door, followed by Omasu's soft voice, asking her to step out. She straightened her shoulders and stepped out of the carriage to find Omasu and another woman watching her. As she waited for Omasu to introduce her, she watched the woman carefully. She looked efficient and capable of handling anything from an earthquake to a thunderstorm without getting even a single hair out of place.

She felt oddly reminded of Tae, which was strange. Tae was perennially horrified (and secretly amused) by the mischief Kaoru could stir. This woman looked like the sort who would put an end to any mischief before it started and keep her cool if anything went wrong. No, Tae was by far the more amusing of the two. Kaoru sighed inwardly. It was time to be on her best behaviour, no doubt.

Omasu held a hand out to the lady, "Princess, this is Lady Mira, she is the caretaker of this palace."

* * *

The gates of the Imperial Palace were wide open. The grand square meant for public meetings and festivals was packed with people. It seemed as though the entire city had emptied unto the marble-paved courtyard of the palace to greet their prince. Men and women chattered noisily amongst themselves, children ran about, chasing each other, waiting for the fireworks that had been promised for weeks. It was the biggest celebration in the city and nobody wanted to miss even a minute of it.

A young woman leaned upon the railing of the aristocratic enclosure. Most of the nobles were assembled upon a terrace that jutted out beneath the dais where the emperor would appear alongside the crown prince. The woman appeared to be waiting for somebody because she would stand upon the tips of her toes every once in a while and search amongst the small crowd gathered on the terrace. Failing to spot the person she was looking for, her shoulders slumped and she looked out at the larger crowd milling about below. Her ebony black hair was pinned away from her face today, making her usual stern expression seem softer. Her lips were painted a bright shade of red and she lifted her head suddenly, as someone called her name.

"Megumi!"

She was startled momentarily. She turned and fought to keep her disappointment from showing on her face. "Oh, Lady Katsura. How are you?"

An elegant lady with kind eyes smiled back at her, "Very fine dear. And you?"

Megumi managed a fake smile. The only person she wanted to smile at had not arrived yet. "I am good."

"I heard you've been helping your uncle at the infirmary. How brave of you. It can't be pleasant to be surrounded with so much suffering. How do you manage?"

"It's not that dreadful. It's an honour, really." Megumi curbed the urge to roll her eyes. People always assumed that she was forced into learning medicine because of her guardian. Little did they know that he had tried to dissuade her many times and that studying medicine was her decision entirely. As though she'd let anyone push her into anything! Bringing comfort to people and relieving them of pain was a liberating and beautiful gift. She was lucky that the gods had been so kind to bless her with it. She wouldn't change it for the world.

"….she's so happy that the prince is coming back, Tomoe is actually being nice for a change. It is so childish really. And I heard that the younger one is going to profit a lot from this venture. The prince sent a letter earlier, giving Enishi his own company, isn't that grand? And you will never guess who I saw arriving at the palace yesterday….." Lady Katsura continued in a flowing monologue. Megumi blinked. Lady Katsura's passion for gossip never ceased to amaze. She knew what was happening with whom, almost as soon as it happened.

"….she was always so charming; too bad her brother isn't more like her. Shogou Amakusa could really be a fine man if only he'd borrow some sweetness from his sister, don't you think so?"

"Erm…."

"Precisely. Exactly what I said. I said, Sayo, you are a sweetheart but your brother is quite the bitter pill. Poor girl, she blushed."

"What else could she have done?" Megumi muttered under her breath and hoped that someone would rescue her. She looked around and saw a girl who lived in her neighbourhood. Megumi babbled some excuse to Lady Katsura, who had fortunately found someone else to talk to and was about to escape when someone caught her by the arm and turned her around. She let out an annoyed sound and looked up….and immediately wished she was miles away, anywhere but here.

Sanosuke held her arm firmly, not so tight that it would hurt her and not so loose that she's have an easy time pulling away. Megumi slowly exhaled. Sanosuke. She hadn't seen him since that day in the infirmary when he'd demanded answers from her.

She had been summoned from home by a messenger on horseback. Sanosuke had been sent ahead of the army and needed immediate attention. She had dropped everything and rushed to the infirmary, where a worn and battered Sanosuke was battling a raging fever, countless injuries and exhaustion. She had stayed at his side since, leaving only when she was forced to by her uncle. After almost five days of praying and healing, Sanosuke finally regained consciousness. But she hadn't been there. Head Healer Genzai had sent her home forcefully, and while she was away, Sanosuke had woken and he was as well as he could be expected to be. He really was a cockroach; nothing would keep him down too long. She hurried back to the infirmary in the middle of the night, ignoring the protests of her uncle. She wanted to see how he was faring for herself. She couldn't just sit at home. She had to be by his side.

She'd fallen asleep sitting at his bedside. Her head rested near his arm. She'd woken in the middle of the night, feeling groggy and sleepy when she noticed that Sanosuke was awake and looking at her with a gleam in his eyes.

"Sanosuke….you're awake."

"Yeah, so are you."

"I'm so sorry. I don't know when I fell asleep. " She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and smoothed her hair down. Sitting up straight, she took Sanosuke's hand to check his pulse. Next, she leaned over and placed her hand upon his forehead.

She smiled. "The fever's gone." Sanosuke's eyes never left her face. His intense scrutiny flustered her and she hesitantly removed her hand and sat back, unconsciously moving her chair back. Sanosuke didn't miss the motion and he smirked.

"I'm not in any state to try anything, Fox. Sad but true. So, relax."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, quickly trying to cover up for her obvious nervousness around him (and the fact that his chest was bare and looking absolutely delicious was in no way responsible). "I am as relaxed as ever. In case you didn't know, I have been here for the past five days, looking after you."

"And I would love to show you how grateful I am, but I won't be taking any maidenheads today."

Megumi's jaw dropped and temper flared. She stood up and bellowed back at him, "I cannot believe you just said something so despicable! You idiot! Do you think I was doing all of this because I want to be seduced by you? This is my job! That's all it is, so don't get any fancy ideas. You are just a patient." She jabbed her finger into the air to emphasize her point. Muttering darkly about perverted rooster-heads, she turned on her heel and would have stomped off but for the sound of amused laughter coming from the bed she had just left. She turned around.

Sanosuke's face lit up and a broad grin stretched across his lips. "That's the fiery Fox I know! What happened to you? I'd never seen you so demure." He winked. "You look much more beautiful when you're angry."

Megumi looked at him suspiciously, not entirely convinced that he was being truthful. Sanosuke gave her a pleading glance and gestured to the chair before she finally relented. She sat down huffily. Sanosuke smiled, "Aw come on Megumi, I was just joking. You know me."

She tossed her hair. "Yes, of course. The first thing you have to do the minute you get better is to remind me why my sweetest dreams are the ones where I move away to the desert."

"Is that right?"

"Yes." She replied smugly. She couldn't believe how much she had missed seeing his infectious grin; his warm eyes and the way he made her feel so alive. She had missed the playful banter that was unique to the two of them. Not seeing him….had been painful, really. Sanosuke had a special quality of bringing happiness and giddiness to any place; he was like the sun in so many ways – warm, bright, devastatingly attractive….Megumi froze at that thought. Attractive?…since when did she think Sanosuke was attractive?

He watched her expression change from happy to pensive, then slightly worried. That was strange. Sanosuke gripped the underside of the bed and hoisted himself up to a sitting position. Megumi exclaimed, "What are you doing! Sanosuke, your stitches are still fresh. Don't move around like that." She stood and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him down. He didn't move. She tried again.

"Stop this childishness and lie down." She spoke a little more sternly this time. He glanced at her hands. Megumi pulled away and stepped back. She hesitantly sat on the chair.

Sanosuke remained sitting. "What good would it do to move to the desert, Fox? You know I would still follow you."

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She felt a familiar warmth pool around her core and wash over her body in waves. She looked away. "Don't say things you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly. Do you?" He asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Would you….lose track of time for other patients too, Megumi?" He shifted his legs and swung them slowly over the side of the bed, so that his feet rested on the floor. Megumi watched in concern.

"What are you doing?" She whispered. A voice in the back of her skull told her to run. She remained glued to her chair. Sanosuke stood and slowly walked towards her. His lips curved in a soft smile. Megumi blinked. Sanosuke rested his hands on the armrests of the chair.

"I am asking you a question." He stopped. Smirked. "Would you lose track of time for other patients too?"

Megumi took a deep breath and pushed him back. She stepped out of the chair and began to back away from him. "You shouldn't do this. You need your strength."

"I think you're the one who needs strength right now." He took another step forward. Megumi swallowed. She looked towards the door, praying for someone to walk past; anything that would give her a chance to get out without looking like a coward.

"If you're hoping for someone to interrupt, I should tell you, they're all dead to the world right now." He stopped. Megumi looked back at him. He had stopped just four inches away from her. Well, it was a start. She stepped back and felt her back brush the wall.

"Sanosuke…."

"Yes?" He asked innocently. He laughed at the bewildered expression on her face. "Why is it so hard for you to just admit that you've been out of your mind worrying about me?"

Megumi rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm a healer. It is my job to worry about injured people." She avoided his eyes.

"Is that why you couldn't wait till morning to see me?" He placed a hand on the wall, beside her shoulder. The skin on the back of her neck tingled. Megumi watched him out of the corner of her eye. She darted a glance towards the door. Nothing. Then suddenly, the sound of footsteps shuffling through the hallway could be heard clearly in the deathly stillness of the night. She held her breath. If someone were to come into this room now…it would be awkward. She was standing with her back literally stuck to the wall, and Sanosuke caging her in by standing the way he was, leaning into her. It would be so embarrassing. And news would reach her uncle and he would be so angry and everyone at court would find out and everyone would titter and gossip about how she was caught kissing Sanosuke as soon as he returned home.

Megumi hung her head, wondering why indeed had she been so adamant on coming to the infirmary immediately. She could have waited a few hours more. She could have come to see him when there were other people around, when it was safe. The presence of other people, other voices in the vicinity would have deterred him from being so reckless and bold with her. Where had he gotten the nerve to behave like this with her….and for the life of her, why didn't she just slap him hard across the face and leave?

She bit her lip and sneaked a look at Sanosuke. He was watching her curiously. There was just a ghost of a smile lurking around his mouth. She replied in a small voice, "I just wanted to see…"

"…how I was doing, I understand. But, why?"

"Does it matter why?" She asked irritably. She shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to see you. I guess I was being silly. Now, please….move. I have to go now."

"No."

"Don't be a bigger idiot than you already are Sanosuke. I really need to go home. Just move!"

"I'm not budging an inch, Fox."

"If you don't move Sanosuke, I will shove you. And that will hurt." Megumi ground her teeth together. Why did Sanosuke have to have the thickest skull in the empire? Why did he never do as he was asked? Why!

"Is that a threat?" Sanosuke looked smug.

"Will you just stop this and move already?" Megumi looked nervously at the door. "Someone will come."

Sanosuke arched an eyebrow. "So?"

"So? So someone will come and I don't want to be seen like this! Don't you understand?"

"Not really."

"For the love of…..are you stupid or are you just pretending to be stupid?"

"Let them come. What are you afraid of?"

"Sano! I am serious." She was frantic now. "They'll see us like this and think…they'll start thinking nonsense!" Sanosuke like the big idiot he was, leaned even closer to her, so she could feel his warm breath on her face, smell the intoxicating wet earth smell that just seemed to ooze from his skin. Despite her reservations, despite being the smart, sensible woman she was, she breathed in his scent and moaned softly. Sanosuke's eyes grew wide as though in surprise and delight. His self-satisfied smile stretched wider and his lips dropped to touch hers. Megumi was shocked. Her hands jerked up in surprise, stopping Sanosuke. She hissed and pushed him with all the strength she could muster. Sanosuke stumbled and lost his footing. He landed on the floor with a thud and winced in pain. Megumi gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared, shell shocked.

"Sano!" She immediately rushed to his side and helped him up. Holding his arm, she tucked it around her neck to support him and stood slowly. Crossing a few paces across the room, she turned as they approached the bed.

She helped him sit with some difficulty. She quickly ran to the opposite side of the bed and checked his stitches and the wounds on his back. Fortunately, there was no further damage. He'd fallen lightly and escaped any damage. She heaved a sigh of relief. She walked back to stand in front of Sano and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Sanosuke looked up at her sheepishly.

"Do you have any idea how foolish, careless and dangerous that was? You could have been seriously hurt!"

He stuck his lower lip out defiantly. "You didn't have to push me Megumi."

"Oh you are not turning this into my fault!"

"Megumi…"

"No! What were you thinking? This is exactly the sort of thing I was scared about. I give you an inch and you take a mile. I didn't even say anything to you and you…you go and kiss me!"

"That's hardly what I would call a kiss Fox." Sanosuke scoffed. "You pushed me before I even got to the kissing part."

"Sano!"

"What?"

"That's it. No more talking. You are going to get into bed and you are going to stay there. You need the rest. I'm the idiot for coming to see you. I should have known." Megumi ranted as she shuffled about the room, straightening it up and pacing about. "I should never have come. You….I just wanted to see if you were alright. They told me you were so badly hurt…I just…I…came the first day and you didn't even open your eyes. You were losing blood like water. I barely managed. I thought….you were gone…for a moment, I really thought…and…."

She stopped suddenly as she felt Sanosuke's arms pull her into an embrace. He said nothing, simply rested his head on her shoulder. Megumi froze a second time. Sanosuke ran the bridge of his nose up the side of her neck, slowly breathing as he did so. The warmth that escaped from his body seeped into hers and calmed her. He lifted his head as she sighed, leaning back against his chest. He gently held her shoulders and turned her to face him. Holding her face in his hands, he looked at her and spoke, "Damn….you really did miss me Fox."

Her breath choked as her courage failed once more. "About as much as one misses a hangnail." She shrugged out of his arms, backed away and turned to leave.

"Megumi?" Sanosuke looked baffled. He couldn't understand what just happened. Megumi had come as close as she ever would to admitting she had feelings for him, and now was running away from him…again.

"I'm sorry Sano…I just can't…I….not yet. Please understand. This is still so new for me. I need time."

"How much time? Can I at least ask you that?"

She bit her lip and stared at her feet. Sanosuke clicked his tongue. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her.

"Do I mean anything to you Megumi? Or are you just having too much fun playing me around?"

"If you meant nothing to me Sano, I wouldn't be here right now."

Sanosuke laughed bitterly. "You'd do the same for Kenshin."

Megumi felt as though she was hit by a battering ram. An icy cold hand wrapped around her heart and squeezed tightly. She felt her breath escape in pieces. A lump rose in her throat and she felt her eyes stinging painfully. Sano's eyes were dark and his mood dangerous. He didn't realize what he was saying…or he wouldn't have said it. This was his anger talking, not him, not Sanosuke. He wasn't that type of man; he didn't draw pleasure from attacking a woman. That's the reason why it hurt so much. She felt bruised and shattered; outraged that he thought so. Her fingers tightened into fists and she shook with silent anger. Wasn't it enough that she had basically confessed that she needed Sano and wanted him in her life? Why had he brought Kenshin into it?

His words burned in her mind. Over and over again – she could hear him; hear the anger and the contempt in his voice. You'd do the same for Kenshin. You'd do the same for Kenshin.

She slowly walked back to Sano. He watched her approach with a grim look on his face. That thought of his was plastered all over his face. _You'd do the same for Kenshin_. She didn't know where the indignation came from, she didn't know why it hurt that he should distrust her so, all she knew was that she had admitted to needing Sano and he had thrown her one-sided love for Kenshin in her face.

She raised her hand and slapped Sano soundly across the cheek. The sound of her hand connecting with his flesh echoed in the sparse infirmary room. Sano stared at the ground but made no move to turn his head and look at her.

"You're better than that Sanosuke Sagara. A thought so mean and insecure doesn't do you justice." She turned and quickly left the room. As she rounded the corner, she stopped. Tears blurred her vision; she slid to the floor, trying to hold in her sobs.

Her chest constricted in pain and she doubled over, rocking back and forth. He had no idea how difficult it had been to let him in. She wanted to believe in him. She wanted to trust him when he said he loved her. She wanted to listen to his words and accept them but it wasn't easy. No it wasn't easy. All her life, her struggle had been to be accepted. That's all she wanted, to be accepted, to be needed, to be loved. Was that so wrong?

As she huddled in a heap on the floor of the infirmary, she was back to being a scared, too-tall, gangly girl who was the perennial wallflower at every playground. She was the girl who sat at the last bench in school, alone because nobody wanted their children to sit next to the child of an unwed mother. She was shunned in class, bullied on the playground and ignored when the school dismissal bell rang.

"_Who'd play with you? You're too tall."_

"_My mommy said your mommy ran away from home. She said I can't play with you."_

"_Yeah, you don't even have a daddy. Go away."_

She had met Kenshin by accident as he wandered about lost in the infirmary. He had just come to the city accompanied by "a giant." Unfortunately, he had lost his giant and was now looking for him. She remembered her jaw dropping open as the "giant" reappeared, picked the boy up as though he weighed nothing. Her life had changed somewhat that day; she had found a friend in the red haired boy.

As childhood slipped away, she blossomed into a flower. But the beauty she inherited from her mother became a burden as every person who had known her mother would look at her, sigh and tell her uncle, "She looks so much like Kasumi, poor angel…." She knew what was insinuated. She wasn't a fool. She knew why she was often singled out by the old dowagers at court and told how a woman's biggest treasure was her purity and so on. But her mother hadn't been loose. Far from it.

Kasumi had merely fallen in love with a man who hadn't survived his illness. He had died before he could marry her. That didn't make her mother a whore and it didn't make her one either. She was proud of her mother. Her uncle would often speak about her – her zeal for medicine, her passion for her work, her kindness, her determination, her honesty, her faith and courage, her unwavering conviction, her fearlessness. Kasumi had refused to confine herself during her pregnancy and wilt away to death as she "should have done". Instead, she continued to work as a healer even as her belly swelled. She had no guilt for what had happened. Kyuzo had loved her and wanted the child she bore; she knew that and it was enough.

It really was enough; Megumi had believed this all her life. Her parents had been good people who did the best they could; she would never be ashamed of that. But, other people found it very hard to think on these lines. They couldn't allow it and so they shunned her.

She had thought that acceptance and inclusion would happen naturally as she grew older but it wasn't so. She recognised the signs of being excluded in other ways. Men were bewildered and appalled by her fierce independence, her intellect and her decision to serve as a healer for His Majesty's armed forces. Healing…especially for the army….was a profession that was best left to men. What did a slip of a girl know anyway?

The trouble was - she knew too much. Megumi found it impossible to be diplomatic about stupidity, cruelty and the arrogance that rises out of centuries of good breeding. She believed in calling a spade a spade. There were very few men who were not intimidated by her beauty, her intelligence, most of all by her razor-sharp tongue. Most men felt threatened and insulted by her; if not by the nature of her birth, then by her chosen profession. She wouldn't make a good wife, was the general consensus.

After being cast away by everyone for so many years, after being hurt a thousand times, after falling and picking herself up again and again, she had finally reached a stage in her life where she was comfortable. She was recognised as a competent healer by the Emperor himself, who sometimes called upon her expertise for minor ailments. The ladies at court had chosen to forget about her mother in lieu of her charm and beauty. And the men had decided that she was a prime specimen of the female race who needed to be tamed.

She'd forgotten the number of times some pampered scion of nobility would show up at her home, demand her hand in marriage and finish off by telling her that she should be grateful that he had come to her despite her shameful lineage. They felt nothing for her. All they wanted was an ornament to decorate a palace or two.

But Sanosuke?

He had told her that he was in love with her and wanted to give a lifetime to her. He wanted her today. But life with her would never be easy. Healers don't have a specific work schedule. If she were called in the middle of the night, she'd have to go…would he accept that? Would he support her? Would he understand her fright if a patient showed signs of fading? Would he understand her torment, if she lost a patient?

And more importantly, how would he handle the prejudice she had grown up with? Would he be able to bear it if someone taunted him about her birth or would he feel insulted?

He was so young and fierce. He might not understand how to deal with it. He might not understand why it no longer bothered her, why she didn't even care to respond to anyone who spoke of it – she did not care, but he might. What would she do then?

The truth was that she did feel something for Sano. She might even be in love with him; she wasn't sure. But if she was, could she willingly put him in a situation where somebody could say something that might grievously hurt him?

No.

She couldn't.

She looked at her feet so that she didn't have to look into his eyes. His eyes held so many questions, so much hurt and so much pain. Hurt and pain that she'd given him by not surrendering to his love; she knew that. And she couldn't until he knew what he was getting into. She didn't want him to feel cheated later. Before they made any sort of promise to each other, they had to sit down and talk. She couldn't let him know about her feelings until she told him everything about herself.

"Megumi?" His voice cut through her thoughts and pulled her back to the world. He had a slight wrinkle between his brows. She had never thought she'd be thinking it but she liked the way a slight frown rested on his face. It made him look serious.

She smiled nervously. "Sanosuke…."

"Where have you been hiding?" He asked curtly. Megumi was about to answer when a third voice cut between their conversation. It was the soft, silvery voice of a petite girl with dark brown hair and a beautiful, amiable face.

"Captain Sagara! So good to see you!"

Megumi and Sanosuke both snapped their heads towards the owner of the voice. Megumi's lips parted slightly in surprise, even as a glimmer of recognition dawned on Sanosuke's face. He slowly clasped the outstretched hand.

"Lady Sayo…what a surprise…"

* * *

Megumi stepped away slowly and quietly as Sayo Amakusa took Sanosuke's arm and absentmindedly led him away, talking in soft whispers. She heard tinkling peals of laughter as Sayo laughed at something he said. This was neither the time nor the place to talk so it was good that Sayo had interrupted them. Yes, it was good. She looked around. The milling crowds upon the terrace began to approach the balcony. Apparently Kenshin had arrived, but she felt no desire to stand and cheer right now. She felt tired, she didn't know why. She decided to make her way to the exit.

Anyway, it wasn't as though Kenshin would realize who was standing there and who wasn't; they would all seem like one homogenous blob to him. She could always see him later. Right now….she had to get away. She spotted Sayo and Sanosuke standing together, speaking to each other; she felt sick. She was making her way through the sea of people on the terrace, whispering apologies as she stepped on people's toes when she bumped into something hard.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out breathlessly, slowly lifting her eyes to see who she'd walked into. He was very tall, almost as tall as Aoshi, with silken black hair that hung till his waist. The circlet of gold he wore on his head and a large golden ring on his little finger bespoke his status as a member of the royal family.

She was surprised to find Shogou Amakusa looking at her with amused curiosity. "That's alright," he replied smoothly. "I trust you aren't hurt yourself?"

Megumi shook her head. "No."

"Good." He made no move to let her pass.

She cleared her throat softly, "Excuse me. I have to go."

"So soon? You just got here."

Megumi blinked. Was he….flirting with her? No of course not. What was wrong with her? This was Shogou Amakusa. Shogou Amakusa didn't flirt with anyone because they were all beneath him and it was such a waste of time.

"I really must go."

"You seem nervous. Is everything alright?" He looked at her closely, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"It's fine. I just really," She suddenly realized that her hand was captured tightly in his, she pulled, "Need to go. Please let go." Her hand was free once more. She cast him a grateful glance and slipped past him.

Shogou watched her leave with amusement. Beside him, Takeda Kanryuu took his glasses off the bridge of his nose and gently blew on them. Kanryuu pulled a handkerchief out of his sleeve and polished the lenses of his glasses carefully. He glanced at Shogou, "No use staring after her."

Shogou turned to look at him, eyebrow quirked up in curiosity. Kanryuu put his glasses on once more.

"She's nothing but trouble."

* * *

As Megumi descended the steps to the walkway, a huge roar rose from the central courtyard. She stopped. Kenshin had come home, and his people were giving him a hero's welcome. She smiled. _I hope you don't mind my absence very much Kenshin. _

* * *

The noise in the central courtyard was deafening. As Kenshin had climbed up the steps to greet the Emperor, the cheering from the crowd intensified until it reached a crescendo as the Emperor smiled at his heir and pulled him forward in front of the royal dais, so all the people of the city could see him. He stepped back to allow everyone an unobstructed view of their prince and future Emperor.

In the aristocratic enclosure, Sanosuke grinned with uninhibited happiness, even as Shogou smirked and prepared to greet the hero with a little welcome of his own.

Kenshin felt exhausted. So many people had come to congratulate him. He was grateful of course, but he also just wanted to go lie down and forget everything. It was excruciatingly wearisome. He smiled, and nodded and nodded and smiled at each and every person who approached him until his eyes fell upon the hand of the man standing in front of him. A large oblong, golden ring rested comfortably upon his index finger. He knew the coat of arms well – he would recognise it anywhere, his father's ring – the Amakusa seal.

He stopped and looked up. His elder brother hadn't changed, at all. The same haughtiness, the ever-present smirk on his face, the imperious glint in his eyes, no, there was nothing about Shogou that indicated any change. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Congratulations", Shogou stepped forward and encircled Kenshin with his arms. It was a cold gesture, an embrace that felt like a crypt. "You have returned quite the hero."

Kenshin quietly stood still for the customary six seconds, then withdrew. Shogou seemed only too happy to be back in his own space.

"Thank you. I trust you are well."

"Very well. Although, I will admit that I was a little worried when word of that attack in the forest reached me."

Kenshin pursed his lips and replied absently. "It was nothing to worry about."

"As is evident." Shogou replied disinterestedly. He pulled a corner of his mouth up in a feeble, half-hearted attempt to smile and walked past.

Kenshin took a step forward and froze. The attack. The forest. Those assassins. He snapped his head up in sudden realization and turned around. He ignored the calls and pleas of various persons wanting a word and followed Shogou till they were out in the corridor.

"Shogou!" His voice echoed in the empty corridor. Shogou and Takeda Kanryuu stopped and turned at the sound of his voice. Shogou seemed surprised.

Kenshin marched up to him. "It was you." He rasped. "You sent those assassins after me."

Shogou didn't even move a muscle. He observed Kenshin coolly. "I think...that you should allow your brain to rearrange your thoughts in a sane and rational manner before you make such vile and sinister accusations."

"I know you did it. The only person I've told about the attack is Shishou." His eyes flashed. "You can't deny it."

Shogou smirked. "Are you seriously accusing me of trying to kill you?" He laughed and turned to look at Kanryuu, who shrugged dramatically.

Shogou scoffed, "If I had sent those men after you, they would have done their job and I wouldn't have had to tolerate your presence right now." He suddenly caught sight of the scar on Kenshin's cheek. He stepped up and turned Kenshin's face slightly, so he could see it better. Shogou's eyes grew wide. "Don't blame me just because you're getting sloppy."

Kenshin slapped his hand away from his chin. Shogou smirked, "If it bothers you that much, you should prove it. Prove that I tried to have you killed."

Kenshin shook with impatience. "Shogou…"

Ssshhhhh." Shogou placed his hand, palm down on Kenshin's head. He placed his other hand on his cheek, patted it. "You're tired. Your mind is playing tricks on you." He stepped away, turned and began to walk away from Kenshin.

"And besides, you're going to need your wits about. A pretty piece like that needs looking after."

Kenshin swung to face him, but Shogou had left. His head spun. This was terrible! He could swear that Shogou knew about Kaoru. But, how was that possible? Did he have spies in his unit? Were his men reporting back to Shogou with vital information? What was going on? His head reeled. How had Shogou known about Kaoru? There was no mistaking it. He had meant Kaoru when he mentioned 'pretty piece'. It was just like Shogou.

He needed to move her from his palace. He had to take her someplace that was off limits to everyone. A place where she could be safe without question…..unfortunately there was only one such place in Yantai, and it would take every ounce of ingenuity and charm that he possessed to get her inside.

**Author's note**

Chapter Finished: November 17th 2010, 1:22 AM.

Am I insane or something?

Gyah. So I probably won't be able to post this until tomorrow, because my laptop doesn't let the internet work and I have go sneak into my husband's laptop to post this, but I'm too tired. And I wrote the last 3000 words in like 1 hour so I can't guarantee its spelled correctly. So the rest of this author note tomorrow and posting also deferred until tomorrow. Yay!

I realize that there are a mountain of reviews I need to reply to, but I am just so tired. My eyelids are drooping and I really just want to sleep. I'm really sorry everyone I did not send a review reply to. I will. Honest.

I hope everybody enjoys this chapter! Love you all for the tremendous encouragement and love you've given this fic. Please continue to do so. Leave me a review!

Loves

krystalMage


	20. Blood Is thicker Than Water

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

Thank you all for reviewing.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 20: Blood Is Thicker than Water**

* * *

**Recap**

Shogou smirked. "Are you seriously accusing me of trying to kill you?" He laughed and turned to look at Kanryuu, who shrugged dramatically.

Shogou scoffed, "If I had sent those men after you, they would have done their job and I wouldn't have had to tolerate your presence right now." He suddenly caught sight of the scar on Kenshin's cheek. He stepped up and turned Kenshin's face slightly, so he could see it better. Shogou's eyes grew wide. "Don't blame me just because you're getting sloppy."

Kenshin slapped his hand away from his chin. Shogou smirked, "If it bothers you that much, you should prove it. Prove that I tried to have you killed."

Kenshin shook with impatience. "Shogou…"

"Ssshhhhh." Shogou placed his hand, palm down on Kenshin's head. He placed his other hand on his cheek, patted it. "Go to sleep. You're tired." He stepped away, turned and began to walk away from Kenshin.

"And besides, you're going to need your wits about. A pretty piece like that needs looking after."

**End of Recap**

* * *

He didn't know how long he stood there, watching Shogou walk away. His brother was the last person in the world he wanted as an enemy. Shogou could be as slippery as an eel; it was impossible to understand him. The thought that his palms were sweaty caused him to stop and look down at his hands rather than the actual physical fact. He stared at his clammy palms. His eyebrows furrowed together in bafflement and for a moment, he felt as though the solution was just beyond his reach. He was nervous, truly nervous for the first time in many years. It was a strange sort of bewilderment. In battle, he gave all of himself without thought and without fear. He didn't allow even a vestige of self-doubt to creep into his mind because he knew that he could hold his own against whatever his opponents flung at him.

He could take chances where he was concerned but this….was different. This changed everything. Another person's life was dependent upon the decisions he took but - he shook his head as though to wash away the doubt - it wasn't like the responsibility he had shouldered in the past. In battle, the lives of the men in his charge depended on him, and he fought to the last to ensure that each man in his team was coming home. The decisions he took affected the lives of his people which was why he never compromised; each person under his command had to train to become proficient to a level where he could trust them. If he was hard on his unit, he was harder upon himself; he spent twice the amount of time training, because he had to be that much more prepared, that much fiercer when the time came. Because he was the first and last person they looked to for answers. He couldn't be any less than perfect.

But those situations were completely different from this. This time, a person who had nothing to do with the tussle for power within Kutou's royal family could get drawn into the middle and could be killed, merely to wound him. He clenched his fists. Shogou was his brother and yet, the mere sight of him chilled him to the bone. Beneath the charming and sophisticated veneer, lurked a hatred that ran deep, dark and impenetrable. How many years had it been…since Shogou literally cut all ties to him?

Shogou had been livid….no…beyond livid, when Shishou had chosen him to be crowned Emperor after him. Those had been the two most monumental days of his life. Shishou had announced his name as his heir, and Shogou had struck his name from the scroll bearing the names of the Amakusa line the very next day. He had sent a herald even to the court of Hiko Seijurou XIII, announcing his decision to disown Kenshin. In one fell swoop, Shogou tore his identity away, leaving him bare and orphaned. It was like losing his parents a second time but only worse, since Shogou denied him any right to even their memories.

"You are no brother of mine."

Kenshin shut his eyes. This should have stopped bothering him a long time ago. He had dealt with this already. It was not something he could help. Shogou simply wanted to have nothing to do with him – except bring him harm. Why did he hate him? What would alleviate his hatred? He didn't know why and he had no answers to these questions. Even so, as true as Shogou's hatred for him was today, the time they had shared together as children in Shimabara was equally true. So…what had gone wrong? Why had he abandoned him so cruelly?

Kenshin slowly sifted the possible reasons for Shogou's coldness in his mind – a ritual that he dug up every once in a while, whenever his thoughts drifted towards the family that had once been his. Possibly, Shogou hated him because they were step brothers? Shogou was the first born and the son of Keigo Amakusa's first wife, Cixi whereas his mother had been Keigo Amakusa's second wife, Antal. Kenshin frowned. But if that were the case, Shogou would hate Sayo as well, but he didn't. On the contrary, Shogou doted upon Sayo. He adored her.

This meant that his mother couldn't be the reason why Shogou despised him – it had to be something else. What did that leave him with? What had he done that could have turned Shogou against him so?

He couldn't think of anything. He had just vague memories of his childhood. He didn't remember much about his father except that he was handsome in a fierce way; he had a loud, booming voice and a deep frown on his forehead. He didn't remember if he had loved him or not….but since he was his father, he must've loved him, right? Parents love their children and children love their parents. That's universal. His mother, on the other hand, was easy to remember. She was beautiful, playful, kind and soft. A strange perfume hung about her always and she would pull him into her arms and let him snuggle in her lap.

Sayo had been just a baby, but Shogou and him would spend hours running around the palace, lying in the shade of sakura trees in the meadows, or just sit staring at the water of the river. They had been happy.

And then, one day, his mother died, and Keigo Amakusa's eyes turned cold towards him. He was separated from Shogou and Sayo, wasn't allowed to have his lessons with them; he even had his meals separately. He still didn't understand why. He remembered crying bitterly when he was being sent to the capital. The caravan was attacked on the way and he was saved by Shishou, who took him under his wing. And that was the way it had been, ever since. He didn't see Shogou or Sayo for years. When he met them again, it was at Keigo Amakusa's funeral. He was an Amakusa, a member of the family but he felt like a stranger. He still felt his heart cringe when he thought of that day. He had sought Shogou out and embraced him as soon as he saw him.

Shogou stood still, like a statue. He didn't push him away but he didn't accept him either. He stood as though it was punishing his senses to be next to him and stiffly removed his arms from around him.

"Shogou….what happened?"

"Nothing." His voice was cold, uncaring.

"Where is Sayo? Is she alright?"

"She is fine. So am I. You need not worry yourself about us."

"But, Shogou, we're brothers." He reached out to grasp Shogou's arm. "Of course I'm worried."

"You are no brother of mine." His lips curled in a bitter smile as he disengaged himself from Kenshin and walked past him, accepting the condolences of other people standing about. His words echoed like thunder in his ears and he shrank back, away from the prying eyes watching the obvious rift between brothers with delight. He shrank away from the speculative glances tossed brazenly towards him by everyone present. He returned to the capital that very night and forbade himself to think of Shimabara again.

He buried his memories of his childhood and his brother and sister deep in his mind, never to be stirred back to life. Shogou would come to the capital from time to time, but he never saw him. Shogou's business was always with Shishou; he was not summoned to these meetings and neither did he have any inclination to barge in where he wasn't needed. If Shogou didn't need him, that was fine. He wasn't exactly fading away without him. Shishou had tried to talk to him about it once, telling him that he had a responsibility to his mother to keep in touch with his siblings; but the cracks in their relations were too wide by then, to try and salvage them was useless.

He was alone. And it had ceased to matter anymore. He could not summon the interest to correspond with Shogou or even Sayo. The twinge of guilt he used to feel when he thought of his sister had also faded with time. He wished her well but was no longer interested in knowing her.

However, it seemed that things were about to change now. Shogou's arrogant challenge had given him much to think about. A man only adopted that attitude when he knew he had nothing to fear – either he was innocent or he was pulling all the strings. Nobody apart from Aoshi, Beshimi, Kaoru was present during the attack in the forest. Beshimi and Aoshi would die before telling anyone about it, Kaoru simply didn't have the means to tell anyone, and he had told Shishou vaguely about the attack in his letter. Shogou would know about the attack only if he had ordered it or intercepted his message to Shishou, which only served to deepen the suspicion against him.

Kenshin took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. It was obvious that whatever game Shogou was playing, he was planning to involve Kaoru in it. He had to be or he would not have mentioned her. Kenshin frowned. He knew what he had to do and where he had to take Kaoru – it was just a matter of persuasion. There was perhaps just one residence in Yantai where Shogou would feel nervous entering and that's where he had to get Kaoru into.

Kenshin turned on his heel and began to walk back towards the celebratory dais constructed on the terrace when he heard hurried footsteps and the sound of someone swearing. He stilled for a moment and turned to find Aoshi walking briskly towards him. His face was taut and he held his shoulders stiff. Kenshin frowned. What now?

Aoshi didn't mince any words. "Where have you been? Half the palace is asking for you and Hiko wants to see you immediately."

* * *

Kenshin bit the inside of his cheek to keep from swearing irritably. He arched an eyebrow with effort, carefully fabricating the appearance of amusement. "Does he now?"

"Yes." Aoshi replied curtly. He turned and began to walk back in the direction whence he had come. He didn't bother to check if Kenshin was following. Kenshin dragged his feet after him, muttering sullenly. He thrashed about for excuses in his head silently even as he stared at the back of Aoshi's shoes as he led the way.

Kenshin scowled. He had no time for this. He had to arrange to move Kaoru to a safer place. Until he had her safely hidden where no one would even dream of looking for her, he couldn't see anyone, not even Shishou. He knew that Shishou would not do anything as drastic as kill her if he found her but he wouldn't put it past him to imprison her and refuse to let him even see her, just to teach him a lesson. No, seeing Hiko would have to wait. He wondered if he should tell Aoshi about his conversation with Shogou. Perhaps he could find something out.

"Aoshi?"

"Hmm."

"I need to know what sort of company Shogou is keeping these days."

If Kenshin hadn't known his cousin inside out, he probably would have missed the miniscule change in pace, the ever-so-slight widening of the eyes and continued to walk ahead as though nothing had happened. But Kenshin noticed and tucked that bit of information safely away in his mind. It reassured him. He was obviously not the only one who thought Shogou was up to something.

Not waiting for a reaction, Kenshin stopped. Aoshi walked ahead a few paces before realizing he wasn't being followed; he slowly turned to look at him. Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "What are you up to?"

Kenshin smiled disarmingly, "I'm sure you'll pass on my regards to Shishou Aoshi."

"Wait a minute. Why will I pass on your regards? Where are you going?"

"Where I should have gone as soon as we reached Kutou."

"You're not making any sense."

"I don't intend to."

"Kenshin…."

"There's nothing I like more than standing in the corridor talking to you Aoshi, but there is some place I have to be." He turned on his heel and began to walk away. Aoshi stared after him.

"What am I supposed to tell Hiko?" He asked irritably. Kenshin turned to face him, shrugged and disappeared round a bend. Aoshi rolled his eyes. "Typical." The muscles around his jaw were taut and his mind raced over the limited excuses he could give to Hiko that wouldn't land him in any more trouble than he was already.

Suddenly, the path that led to Hiko's chambers seemed very short and the carved wooden door of the Emperor's private council room seemed to appear in front of his face out of nowhere. Aoshi ignored the ceremonial guards standing at the sides and silently stood at the door, quickly rearranging his story. Since he was no longer privy to Kenshin's plan, it was safe to dump the responsibility for this tardy appearance onto his cousin's head. Aoshi allowed himself a satisfied smile. After all, he wasn't the one trying to hide.

Aoshi took a deep breath and pushed the doors open. Hiko Seijurou the Thirteenth, the Emperor of Kutou sat at the window seat overlooking the gardens, watching the play of lights floating languidly in little paper boats on the pond. Beside him there was a big bottle of sake and in front of him, one of the most beautiful women of the empire, a woman who had begun her career as an Oniwabanshu ninja but had given up her place in the group to earn the right to be here; sitting beside the greatest emperor Kutou had ever known. She turned her eyes towards him now, and smiled. She kept her own sake cup aside, and rose elegantly to receive him.

"Lord Aoshi, how wonderful to see you again." Her voice was husky and her smile infectious. Each time he met her, he wondered how someone as playful and endearing as her had fallen for Hiko. Okon was like a child in love – she loved Hiko madly, desperately and fearlessly. She had no fear of her love for him – she didn't care what the court thought, she loved him as though it was her right, as though it was what she had been born to do. There was no artifice, no duplicity in anything she did. She was like an open book and perhaps, this openness, this uninhibited, unabashed honesty had forced Hiko himself to recognise, and return her feelings. She was, in Aoshi's estimation, remarkable.

"Greetings, my liege." He kneeled, and held his sword out in a show of fealty, then bowed to Hiko, who ignored him. As he straightened, he glanced at Okon.

Okon's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "The emperor has decided not to speak to you, my lord," she whispered conspiratorially, loud enough for the emperor to hear. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced towards Hiko and met his questioning gaze directly. He raised an eyebrow as though he wanted to ask her what she meant by telling Aoshi about his mood. Her smile deepened and she nodded towards Aoshi encouragingly.

"But, you should not hesitate," she made her way to the door, "it doesn't become you."

"Where are you going Okon?" Hiko asked tautly. Okon stopped and turned to face him. She smiled.

"I've forgotten something I wanted to show you, I'll be back in a minute," she answered innocently. Smiling reassuringly at Aoshi, she slipped away from the room and left him to stare at Hiko's sullen countenance. Aoshi drew a deep breath. This would not end pleasantly.

After what seemed like an hour, Hiko finally tore his eyes away from the scene outside the window and focussed upon Aoshi, who tried hard to look as though everything was exactly as it should have been and he had nothing to be nervous about.

Hiko silently refilled his sake cup and brought it to his lips. As he took a sip from the cup, Aoshi shifted his weight from his right foot to his left. Resting the cup on the floor, Hiko let out a satisfied sigh.

"That" he pointed to the sake jug, "is some of the finest sake in the world. This morning, when I woke, I asked for it to be brought out since I was happy that my bakadeshi had returned and for once, he hadn't done anything stupid – or so I thought." Hiko fixed Aoshi with a pointed glare. Aoshi betrayed no emotion on his face.

Hiko continued, "My good humour lasted for two hours, after which I discovered that not only had that idiot been stupid, he had surpassed all previous instances of stupidity and you," Hiko's voice inflected alarmingly, "helped him every step of the way. Not only did you encourage this idiocy but you created opportunities to compound it."

Aoshi swallowed and prayed that Hiko would not notice how he stepped a tiny, miniscule step back towards the door.

"So, not only has my happiness been ruined, this sake has been relegated the unfortunate task of trying to salvage what is left of my contentment. A grave insult, indeed." He turned, his huge frame created a wall that blocked the wind from the room.

His shadow fell across Aoshi's face. "Start talking. I hope, for your sake, that you have a good story to tell me."

Aoshi bent his head, took a deep breath and was about to launch into recalling everything that had happened since they rode out of Kansan when Hiko held his hand up and stopped him.

"Wait," Hiko looked around the room, "Why are you alone, and where is the idiot I sent you to find?"

This is it. Aoshi schooled his features as close to conscientious sincerity as he could and replied, "I told him you wanted to see him the minute I set eyes on him." He feigned a confusion he obviously did not feel. "Did…didn't he come here?"

Hiko rolled his eyes. "If this is the way you keep an eye on him, a bleak future is all I can foresee for this dynasty." He frowned, all traces of mirth disappearing from his eyes. "And what's this I hear about a woman accompanying him back from Konan?"

Aoshi opened his mouth to speak several times but none of his words seemed capable of conveying the emotion he seen for Kaoru in Kenshin's eyes. He remained silent.

"Don't test my patience boy, say something! What is this talk of a woman travelling with him?"

"She's not just any woman. She's Shishio Makoto's daughter."

"She's WHAT?" Anger drowned out the incredulity in Hiko's voice. Aoshi nodded slowly, wondering if he could just escape now and come back later.

"She's Shishio Makoto's daughter."

"I heard you." Hiko rasped. "What is she doing with Kenshin?"

"She's not doing anything with him. He insisted on bringing her back here. She doesn't even want to be here."

"You know how I feel about this. You should have killed her when you had the chance."

Aoshi felt the weight of his words fall like lead in his mind as he dredged together the control to acquiesce. "I know."

"Then why didn't you? How could you allow him to bring her back here?" Hiko turned to the window once more.

"I had no choice. It was either agree with him or fight him. If I had persisted in killing Kaoru then, you would be welcoming your heir and the dead body of your nephew together."

Hiko's hand paused for a heartbeat as he raised a sake cup to his lips. His eyes searched him piercingly and his lip curled. "I was not aware that you were so scared of death."

"I am not scared of death!" Aoshi replied indignantly. "But if I am to fight Kenshin and lose my life in the process, I refuse to do it because of a woman I hardly know."

"You just called her by her name, didn't you? I'd say you know her well enough."

"That's not what I meant."

"No? Kindly explain then, I am unusually indulgent today."

"She saved Kenshin's life."

There was a twitch above Hiko's eyebrow. And a second one at his mouth. Aoshi waited. Hiko said nothing more, merely lifted an eyebrow casually. There was no surprise or curiosity on his face, only a callow disinterest, as though he really didn't care what had happened and why but simply wanted to know how they had dared to defy him.

"There was an attack," Aoshi began in resignation; by now he had understood that Kaoru's fate hung precariously at the mercy of Hiko's mercurial temper. It was just as he had feared and he could nothing about it. "Five assassins infiltrated our unit and ambushed us as we searched for two of Konan's missing commanders. The fight was going badly for us, but Kenshin managed to turn it around but…he didn't notice the last one creeping up on him until it was too late." He stopped to look at Hiko.

Hiko nodded and gestured to continue. Aoshi began once more, "That's when Kaoru burst in and shot the assassin with an arrow."

A languorous smile spread across Hiko's lips. "How very interesting."

"Of course, we didn't know who she was then. We didn't even know that she was a woman – she was disguised as a monk. When we found out….."

"You decided to bring her here."

"Kenshin decided to bring her here."

"And you let him."

"I had no other option. Kenshin is…he is in love with her and he will do anything to protect her."

"Don't talk such drivel and expect me to swallow it up!" Hiko bellowed in anger. Aoshi felt his eyes grow wide and clenched his fists to steady himself. "In love indeed! I've never heard such nonsense in my life. Why do you think I sent you along with him? Just to prevent any such idiocy and you turn around and tell me that he is in love!"

Hiko looked away in disgust. "If he has no more sense than to fall for the first pretty face he sees in enemy country, it's not my concern. But I am damned if I allow this to continue."

Hiko dropped the sake cup unceremoniously upon the floor and raised the jug to his lips to drink. As the sake soothed his throat and his temper, he turned a baleful eye towards Aoshi. "There is a reason laws are made. They are not made to be broken by the very people who should be upholding them. We do not allow survivors from the royal house because when they survive they get ideas – ideas about freedom, and liberty and coming together and fighting, of rebellion and uprisings. This girl is going to be no different. That is why she needs to be killed."

"Kenshin won't hear of it." Aoshi shook his head.

"I don't recall asking Kenshin to do anything about it. It should never have come to this. You should have handled it well before it turned into a matter worth questioning me for." He stared at the floor. "Kill her and get it over with. I don't want to hear of this anymore."

Aoshi froze. He heard the swoosh of his blood in his ears. The frigid fingers of the wind wrapped around his neck and squeezed. He bent his head.

Hiko glanced at him dismissively. "Still here? "

Aoshi bit the inside of his cheek. "Kenshin will never forgive me if I hurt her."

Hiko leaned back. "He'll get over it. There're plenty of women for him. He won't die if he doesn't have this one."

X0X0X0X0

Omasu glanced about nervously. The prince's message had been short and hurried but she'd still asked the messenger to repeat it twice before she could wrap her mind around it. Incredible. She couldn't believe she was standing here – outside this palace. It was a veritable fortress within a fortress. How was she expected to get inside? If any of the Oniwabanshu saw her now, it would be all over. She shivered and leaned against the carriage in which she'd bundled a flustered and confused Kaoru and brought her here. She craned her neck once more; the prince had said he would reach only a few minutes after but there was no trace of him.

The night air nipped at her ears and sent shivers down her spine. The shadows cast by the perimeter walls of the palace shrouded her and the carriage in darkness; no one could tell she was there unless she let herself be seen.

Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse brought her attention back to the road. A huge black stallion reared ten paces away. The rider held the reins tightly in his left hand and patted the neck of the horse with his right. Softly whispering soothing words in the great horses's ear, he slipped off and secured the reins to a lamp post. The night watchman and the guards at the gates of the palace watched curiously as the rider walked across the road and straight towards a dark patch of shadow.

Omasu gave a cry of surprise as he drew near. "Your Highness! May the dragons preserve you! I was so worried."

Kenshin smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry for alarming you Omasu, but it was necessary. Is Kaoru alright?"

"She's a little confused but she's alright."

Kenshin nodded. "Good. Alright, Omasu we are going in."

Omasu's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Going in…in here? Are you sure, Your Highness?"

"Don't be silly Omasu. Of course I'm sure. Now, follow my lead. And don't say anything. You are not to speak, understood?"

"I don't think I would be able to speak."

"Wonderful."

He walked back to his horse, mounted and waited for Omasu to follow with the carriage. He rode up to the gates. The guards jumped in attendance and swung the massive gates open. The carriage and horse passed through and the gates were shut once more. The drive led past twelve huge water fountains with stone dragons. Kenshin drew the horse carefully at the foot of the palace and jumped off. He tossed the reins to a servant waiting for them, and called out to another, "That carriage is mine. It is not to be disturbed."

He ran up the stairs without waiting for an answer. The stairs led into a curving hallway laid with pristine white marble, and papered with white silk on the walls. Intricate drawings decorated the ceilings. Kenshin looked at everything with a fondness gleaned from happy memories created in this very place. As he walked, he ran his fingers over the walls, remembering.

A servant caught sight of him and immediately scurried away to inform the mistress of the palace that her favourite had arrived.

Kenshin smiled as a familiar wooden door rose in front of him. He glanced briefly at the two girls standing on either side of the door, beaming at him. They held the door open and giggled as he walked past. Inside the room, crystal lamps illuminated a large oval room lined with books and scrolls. A lady-in-waiting sat on a mattress surrounded with kimonos, another sat at a writing table, scribbling away busily. At least five lapdogs lounged about on satin cushions thrown here and there. A tall mirror was set in the middle of the room. Watching her reflection in it, stood an elegant lady, impeccably dressed in a black and silver kimono, her silver hair elaborately arranged with combs. The imperious tilt of her lips did full justice to her title.

The Dowager Empress of Kutou turned as the reflection of her favourite grandson appeared next to her in her mirror. Her eyes lit up as he drew near.

"Kenshin!" She held her hands out to him. "My child!"

Kenshin grinned and clasped her hands warmly. The wrinkles of her skin were as familiar as the glint in her eyes and he wondered, not for the first time, how unfortunate it was that neither of her sons inherited her zest and her joyful nature.

"No! Go away!" She suddenly flicked her hands away from him. "You care nothing for me. I won't hear any excuses." Kenshin looked confused.

"Grandma, what are you…"

"You never bother to come see me before you ride off for battle! It's as though I don't exist."

"Grandma, that's not true. I only didn't come to see you this time, and that's just because Shishou wanted me gone as soon as possible. You know that."

The Dowager Empress settled on an armchair and watched him closely. Seconds later, she seemed to relent. "I can never understand why he must send you and not anybody else. Heavens know they could use the experience."

"Perhaps that's why."

She inclined her head. "Perhaps." She straightened and beckoned him forward. "Come here." Kenshin sat down at her feet and looked up at her. Her eyes seemed like liquid pools of green and grey, framed by skin that was translucent and dotted with faint spots.

She frowned as she caught sight of the scar on his cheek. Clasping his chin softly, she turned his face to look at it, not missing the tightness in his jaw as she did so. "Kenshin….who….did this?"

Kenshin turned towards the mirror, watching his reflection carefully. The scar had turned a dull shade of brown. "It doesn't matter anymore." The troubled look in his grandmother's eyes cut like a knife in his chest. He turned to her and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I fancy it actually. It gives me a more dangerous air."

The Dowager Empress smiled. "As though you need it. I have been hearing the most shocking things about you, young man. It doesn't please me."

"What shocking things?"

"All these girls Kenshin. How can you be involved with so many at once?"

Kenshin snorted. "That's what I'd like to know. Grandma, if even half of it were true, I would be spending twenty five hours a day in bed. It would become downright boring."

The Dowager Empress laughed. "Very true. Now, tell me, what is troubling you?"

"I can't just come to see you because I missed you?"

"You can, but not on the day you return a hero. Whatever it is, is keeping you from celebrations…. of all kinds." She added dryly. Kenshin laughed softly.

He leaned against her knees, just like he had so many times before when he was a child. "I need your help Grandma."

She smiled indulgently. "Anything child, you only have to ask."

Kenshin drew a deep breath. "I need you to give sanctuary to someone whose life depends on it."

"Sanctuary….I don't understand."

"Grandma," he turned and looked at her earnestly, "there is someone I'd like you to meet."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Who?"

"Her name is Kaoru Makoto…..Princess Kaoru Makoto."

The Dowager Empress narrowed her eyes. The name seemed oddly familiar, like she'd heard it somewhere before, as though she knew it. She closed her eyes trying to remember it when one of her ladies-in-waiting gasped. She opened her eyes and turned towards her. "What is it, Masaki?"

"Your Majesty! That name….she's the enemy princess, Konan's princess!"

"What?", she turned to Kenshin, "Kenshin, is this true?"

"Yes."

"Kenshin." She spoke sternly. "You know the laws. How can I provide sanctuary to an enemy, someone who is wanted by the law?

Kenshin stood abruptly. "And why not? Grandma, she has nowhere to go."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry about that but….."

"Grandma, you are the only person who can stand up to Shishou regarding this problem, please don't give up like this."

"Kenshin, Hiko is well within his rights…."

"To kill her? Do you really believe that?"

"It is unfortunate but…"

"Alright, just meet her once, and I promise you won't be able to let her go."

"Kenshin…"

"Please….for me?"

"Kenshin…..you're not….you don't have feelings for her, do you?" She asked quietly. The room fell silent.

Kenshin sighed. "I do. I am helplessly in love with her and she will have nothing to do with me. Even now, she doesn't know how dangerous it is for her to be here but here she is, because she wants to take care of the prisoners from Konan who were brought here forcibly." He looked up at the ceiling.

"She saved my life, Grandma, and she didn't even know me then. She is the kindest, gentlest, and most fearless woman I have ever met and she absolutely hates me. And it's alright. I don't care if she hates me….I just want her to be safe. And this is the only place in Yantai where Shishou will never send an assassin." He stopped. "Please….please let her stay with you."

Nobody spoke.

One of the ladies-in-waiting coughed delicately and looked at the Dowager Empress. "Your Majesty? What should we do?"

The Dowager Empress didn't take her eyes off Kenshin. Finally, she inclined her head. "Send for her." Looking at her grandson once more she spoke, "I am curious. What sort of girl could melt that icicle you keep in your chest?" She smiled. "I think I am going to be quite amused."

X0X0X0X0

**Author's Note**

Hi lovely people!

Hope you all had a fantastic time over the holidays. I know this time's update is not the usual length. It's barely 6 thousand words and that's peanuts compared to what I'm used to writing but there's a reason. In the past two or three chapters, I have a lot going on in one huge chapter so now I'm going to be posting shorter chapters more frequently, instead of one chapter in two months. I hope the new arrangement is as fun for you as it is for me. Because I want you all to enjoy the story as much as I am and I believe that a lot of that enjoyment gets marred because of the delays in posting updates.

Here's to more frequent updates! Yay!

Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please read and review.

Loves

krystalMage


	21. Friends and Foes

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

Thank you all for reviewing. You guys make it worth all the midnight writing. Love you all.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 21: Friends and Foes**

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**Recap**

"She saved my life, Grandma, and she didn't even know me then. She is the kindest, gentlest, and most fearless woman I have ever met and she absolutely hates me. And it's alright. I don't care if she hates me….I just want her to be safe. And this is the only place in Yantai where Shishou will never send an assassin." He stopped. "Please….please let her stay with you."

Nobody spoke.

One of the ladies-in-waiting coughed delicately and looked at the Dowager Empress. "Your Majesty? What should we do?"

The Dowager Empress didn't take her eyes off Kenshin. Finally, she inclined her head. "Send for her." Looking at her grandson once more she spoke, "I am curious. What sort of girl could melt that icicle you keep in your chest?" She smiled. "I think I am going to be quite amused."

**End of Recap**

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There was a subtle flurry of activity in the room as the ladies waited for their new guest to arrive. The Dowager Empress settled down regally in an armchair in the centre of the room, Kenshin sat on a small stool at her feet; it was an old habit of his, born out of hundreds of evenings spent being read to by his grandmother. He leaned against her legs and kept his elbow on her knees. The Dowager Empress's three ladies-in-waiting took positions behind her chair and two more sat on the reclining divan. Even the lapdogs had roused themselves up to lie on their sides, watching the door instead of sprawling flat upon their stomachs.

Kenshin watched the expressions on the women's faces with trepidation, hoping everything went alright and that Kaoru would not feel intimidated. Although,

he doubted that Kaoru would feel intimidated here. She should feel comfortable in a surrounding such as this; she was a princess after all. But even so, the guile and sly coquettishness most court ladies seemed naturally blessed with was missing in Kaoru. She spoke her mind, unafraid and unconcerned of the consequences, and while that was a trait he admired, it probably would not fetch her support in court.

This was another reason why he wanted his grandmother to take Kaoru under her wing. With the support of the Dowager Empress, Kaoru could easily learn how to navigate in the treacherous social environment of the Kutou court.

The door opened. Everyone except for Kenshin and the Dowager Empress leaned forward in their seats. Omasu stepped in lightly and dropped to one knee, her hand held delicately over her heart, her head bowed low in deference. The Dowager Empress inclined her head. Omasu stood and turning slightly, held her hand out to Kaoru, who stood behind her.

Kaoru blinked. Outside, Omasu had given her a hurried account of what had transpired since they had left Kenshin's palace. She had barely been given the time to process everything when Omasu suddenly reappeared and led her into the room.

Omasu whispered, "The Dowager Empress has agreed to see you. Come on." She tugged on her hand and brought her inside, to the middle of the room, where she left her. Kaoru watched Omasu retreat to the back of the room and took a deep breath. She raised her eyes to see exactly what sort of person the Dowager Empress was.

The lady seated before her was the most regal looking person she had ever set eyes upon. There was no need of an introduction – she looked every bit an Empress. There was such majesty in her face that Kaoru felt no hesitation as she bent slowly at the knee in a formal curtsey taught painstakingly by Tae. She kept her eyes down for a respectable length of time before she raised them to look at the lady once more.

Omasu announced, "Your Highness, I present to you, the Princess Kaoru."

Kaoru held her breath as she felt the Empress study her carefully from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. She breathed slowly, remembering to inhale as Tae had taught her, standing as still as a statue even as the Empress seemed to be sizing her up as she would a fine antiquity. Being presented like this was nothing new to her. All her life, she had faced down female relatives from her mother or father's family who showed up from time to time to check on her studies, on whether Tae was raising her properly, and whether she was displaying the traits that were required in a princess. These sessions had always been made frivolous by the presence of her uncle who laughed at her pompous aunts and distant, older cousins, who presumed to lecture her as soon as they arrived.

This was different from those times – because the silver haired lady who sat looking at her seemed genuinely curious about her. The Dowager Empress stared at her with wonder, curiosity and sympathy. She didn't feel like a cake on display. Kaoru watched her from beneath lowered eyelashes. Her own grandparents had died when she was very young so she had never known what the relationship between a grandparent and their grandchild was. However, she had seen the fondness with which Kenshin was sitting next to the Dowager Empress and she felt a twinge of envy. There was something in her face that made her want to sit next to her like Kenshin. Her face carried the testimony of the love and tenderness she showered upon her own. Kaoru felt as though she would like her very much.

She fought hard not to let her eyes stray to Kenshin. She could tell that the women sitting around the Empress were her ladies-in-waiting and they were dissecting each part of her for weakness. She had to show that she was her own person, not dependent upon Kenshin at all. She was apart from him. She wasn't looking to him for help. That was the only way they would respect her and give her the deference that was her due.

The Dowager Empress sighed, "Oh Kenshin….she is beautiful!" Kenshin lifted the corner of his mouth slightly and looked down. Kaoru felt her face flush red with embarrassment.

"And so young….how terrible…."The Dowager Empress held a hand out and beckoned her closer, "Come here child, let me take a look at you."

Kaoru exhaled softly. She had passed a test; she was certain. She smiled softly and in relief. Kenshin watched her with a warm glow in his eyes and stood. He backed away, giving the women space. Kaoru approached the Empress's chair and after a moment of hesitation, took her hand.

One of the ladies produced an ornately carved wooden stool for her to sit on. The Dowager Empress flicked her eyes towards it and Kaoru slowly sat down. Her hair was twisted into a simple, uncluttered bun at the back of her head and she wore a white kimono with a motif of cobalt peonies. The colour brought out the fire in her eyes.

The Dowager Empress leaned forward and held Kaoru's face in her hands. Kaoru's eyes grew wide with surprise but she said nothing. She watched quietly as the older woman turned her face this way and that. Next, she lifted her hands up to her eyes and inspected them, turning them over.

Kenshin frowned. "Grandma, what are you doing?"

"Quiet. You asked me to look after her, didn't you?" She replied, not bothering to look at him. "You are familiar with weapons."

"Yes…" Kaoru replied softly. She thought she saw the ghost of a smile on the Empress's face, but wasn't sure.

"Hmm…an unusual accomplishment for a young girl."

Kenshin opened his mouth to say something but abruptly shut it again. He couldn't afford to antagonize his grandmother right now, and besides, she probably had some strange reason for whatever she was doing. He hoped.

Satisfied with what she saw, the Dowager Empress smiled to herself and turned to Kenshin. Her smile grew wider. "You can relax. I will take care of her."

"You will?" Kenshin smiled. "Thank you Grandma." He strode forward and dropped an affectionate peck on her cheek. "You are an angel."

She waved a hand at him. "I know. Now, you had better leave. It is late and well past the hour you should be at a lady's residence. Kaoru and I have many things to talk about and that is impossible as long as you are here."

Kenshin agreed quickly. Lifting his grandmother's hands, he kissed the palms gently and casting a sidelong glance at Kaoru, he left.

X0X0X0X0X

Kaoru slowly took a deep breath. The Dowager Empress had dismissed her ladies minutes after Kenshin took his leave. The hour was late and they had a long day ahead of them. Kaoru watched as the last of the ladies bade goodnight to the empress and to her. The crystal lamps were all put out save for one, which was brought close to the reclining divan where the Dowager Empress was seated.

She looked at Kaoru, "Come sit near me Kaoru." Kaoru stood and walked over to her. She sat beside her. Kaoru noticed her eyes and how much they reminded her of Kenshin; even though the colour was different, the wild dance of colour was the same. Now they looked green, yet a minute ago she could have sworn they were grey.

The Empress watched her curiously. "You intrigue me Kaoru."

Kaoru blinked. "May I ask why?"

"Because in all the years I have known him, Kenshin has never once asked me for anything. And when he finally did, he asked me to give you the protection of my house. I don't know if you understand or even recognise what that means to him but it has made one thing very clear to me – you are no ordinary girl."

"….."

"Now I don't know what transpired between the two of you but the mere fact that he is willing to defy Hiko for you…. makes you very interesting to me. I want to know everything about you, how you escaped Konan, how you ended up meeting Kenshin and how you made your way here, to Kutou….tell me everything."

Kaoru stared at her. She took a deep breath and began to tell her everything that had happened since she'd dragged herself out of the river. All the pain that had been bottled up inside of her slowly began to slip away as she recounted her mistake in the forest, her anguish at killing, her horror at finding out the identity of her captors, the argument with Kenshin, the decision to come to Kutou – as the words of her story tumbled out of her mouth and into the room, she felt lighter and more relaxed than she had felt in a fortnight. When she finished, she looked up to find the Dowager Empress looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

"You must feel awkward, surrounded by strange people. It is not easy to be plucked out of a home so violently. "The empress spoke softly.

Kaoru gave a wry smile. "No it isn't. Sometimes, it still feels like a dream – a dream I will wake from and everything will go back to the way it was."

"Is that what you want?"

Kaoru stared at her hands. "A week ago I might have said yes, I want it all to go away, I want the pain, the loneliness to go away …..But now, I don't know….Everything that has happened…the world is not a simple place anymore and I don't think I can go back to being the person I was before."

Kaoru wiped a tear that had escaped her eyes. "All this time, I kept wishing that time would turn back. I wished the war had never happened, I wished to have my family back…I kept wishing for a miracle, wishing for things I didn't or couldn't have but since then, I've realized that time doesn't stop. The world didn't stop because of my pain. It kept moving….because my pain was just a small part of it. I am a tiny part of the world and my hoping and wishing won't change anything." She looked up and as the Empress nodded encouragingly, continued, "I've been so selfish in the past. My actions have harmed other people because I didn't realize what was happening around me. And now, I have to fix that, I have to do something to mend it."

"Do you think coming Kutou will mend it?"

"It's a small start. I owe it to my people to at least try, try to change something for their good."

"Is it alright to manage so much alone? Doesn't it scare you?"

Kaoru nibbled on her lip thoughtfully before answering. "I never had the time to be scared. If I had thought these things over I might have been scared but everything just happened so fast….I didn't even realize what I was doing….what I had done….until it was too late."

The Empress tilted her head. "Do you regret saving Kenshin?" Kaoru looked up with a start.

And slowly in shock, shook her head. "No…." She spoke as though she were surprised herself.

The Dowager Empress smiled to herself. She understood. The anger and hatred she had felt at the beginning of Kaoru's telling of the story had gradually eroded as Kaoru recounted the many events that had forced them to cooperate with each other. And now, she could see that Kaoru was herself shocked and surprised at the discovery that she no longer hated Kenshin….or that she was beginning to see him as someone else, not the Crown Prince of Kutou, not the fatal warrior of the Kutou army but a man who had helped her when she needed it the most and who continued to do so even now.

"Have you forgiven him?"

Kaoru choked. She felt a lump in her throat that refused to melt away, a burning in her nose that wouldn't die down. "I am trying to forgive him but it's not easy."

The Empress sighed. "No, it isn't. It is not easy to watch the destruction of everything you held dear and to forgive those responsible for it but Kaoru, it is also true that if you do not allow forgiveness to heal your heart, life will become bitter, very bitter."

Kaoru remained silent. The Dowager Empress held a hand to her cheek. "You are exhausted and I have strained you with all this talking. Go, sleep now. We will meet in the morning."

X0X0X0X0X

Kaoru shut her eyes as her head hit the pillow in the plush bed in her room. The bed was overhung with a canopy of the finest muslin. She had been given two rooms, one was a bedroom and the other had a more formal seating arrangement for receiving guests. A petulant voice nagged at her peace even in the state of near-collapse she was reduced to. She felt bewildered.

She could deal with cruelty and imprisonment but this? How was she supposed to deal with the kindness that was routinely shown to her? With every day that passed, her demonic perception of Kutou was being shattered. Every day that she remained in the company of Omasu, she forgot her resolve to destroy Kenshin, she forgot her pain, she forgot the siege of Konan, and she didn't want to forget! She wanted to keep her pain alive. She wanted the bitterness of pain and anger to seep into her blood so that she remembered the faces of those who had lost their homes. She had to remember the tears she had shed for her home. She had to remember it all to avenge them.

What was she doing here? Why had she come here? Why, if not to ruin Kenshin?

She sat up panting. Her head was splitting in pain. Was it right to extract vengeance from those who wanted nothing but her happiness? Wasn't it a greater sin to wish evil upon those who were looking after her? Could she do this? Could she go on hating….even when she no longer felt it? Could she ignore the stirring of something warm in the core of her being when she looked at Kenshin? The flash of heat that engulfed her body and shook her soul when his eyes found hers – could she push it away?

Kaoru bit her lip and pushed the curtains aside. A chill spread through her body like a current as she placed her bare feet on the marble floor. The cold stung. She ignored it and walked towards the windows that swept from the ceiling till the floor. She pushed the glass door of the window open. Heavy gusts of icy wind tore through the room. Kaoru shrank back. She was only wearing a thin shift of satin. The wind made her bones rattle. She didn't care. This was the only way she could think of punishing herself at the moment. For she deserved worse, for thinking about Kenshin like that, for forgetting that she was promised to a man who was noble and kind and brave and sacrificing. A man she surely didn't deserve. A man who was as loyal as she was traitorous. The man she should be thinking of at all times – a man who was named Okita.

She would not think of Kenshin. She would not think of the swirling hues of his eyes, she definitely would not think of the coiled muscles of his back and how it glistened when water ran down it, and she would also not imagine the way his lips would feel n hers, how the calluses of his hands would feel on her skin – she was not going to think about it.

She sat on the bed and quickly uttered a prayer of repentance. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. And prayed again and again. With these words on her lips, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning as the wind clanged against the windows outside.

X0X0X0X0X

By the time Kenshin returned to his palace, the night was swiftly approaching dawn. The heady celebration of victory still hadn't died down in certain aristocratic enclosures; the raucous noises and drunken revelry was still in full swing. There would be no peace for anybody in the imperial palace so he decided to spend what was left of the night at the palace where he had first hid Kaoru.

He drew his horse gently towards the stables and settled it inside. He watched absently as the grooms rubbed and brushed the horse down. Satisfied, he turned on his heel and strode towards his chambers.

As he entered his room he had the niggling feeling that there was somebody inside. He stopped and looked carefully around the room. Nothing. Moonlight streamed in from a window. He shook his head. It was the exhaustion, and it was playing tricks on his mind. He shrugged out of his ceremonial haori and dropped it; he repeated the action with his gi and let it fall when his skin tingled once more. He stopped….frowned. Something was wrong. There was somebody in the room.

He walked casually to his bed and sat. Leaning back, he planted his hands on the bed and called out, "Who is it and what do you want?"

He was answered by the sound of melodious laughter. Seconds later, a figure clad in a silken blue kimono appeared from behind the wooden screen. Her black hair wore a beautiful sheen and her dark eyes shone with happiness. As she stepped forward, her frame cut across a beam of moonlight that fell straight in front of his bed. She seemed ethereal. The light of the moon suddenly seemed stark in comparison to the pristine beauty of her visage.

Kenshin clenched his fists. His jaw tightened. "Tomoe."

Tomoe cocked her head to the side. "Such a dark expression, my prince. I should think you are not happy to see me."

Kenshin laughed mirthlessly. "Really? I'm surprised that thought did not strike you sooner."

Tomoe stepped closer. Her hand rested on his cheek, as she whispered softly into his ear, "I had thought that distance and time away from me would make you less cruel."

He gently pulled her hand away and stood. "You thought wrong."

She smiled, "Is this any way to speak to someone who has waited for you so long?"

Kenshin smirked. "Why are you here Tomoe?"

He felt her eyes roam over his face before lowering to look at his chest. "Need you still ask? I missed you and I was worried about you. I knew you wouldn't stay at the imperial palace tonight – it would be too loud for your taste. So I thought I would come to see you here."

"You know exactly how my mind works, hmmm." He replied with a touch of asperity.

Tomoe laughed. "I wish I knew. Then maybe you wouldn't enjoy hurting me so much."

"It's enough to make you give up, isn't it? I'm really not worth the trouble." He turned and picked up his discarded gi from the floor. As he pulled it around his shoulders, he felt Tomoe's arms snake around his waist.

"Tomoe," he spoke warningly.

"Don't…don't say anything." She rested her forehead on his back, just above the scar from Shishio's fire sword. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of it. She gingerly traced it with her fingers, from his shoulder working across his back till she reached just above his hipbone. Kenshin turned suddenly and shook free of her. He frowned angrily. Tomoe stared back at him, unafraid.

"Don't look at me like that Kenshin. You know I'm not scared."

"A little fear is good for you Tomoe."

"Not where you're concerned."

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Tomoe? I'm tired and I want to sleep and you are bothering me."

Tomoe laughed. "So cranky tonight….what a shame…even a bad temper looks good on you." She smiled invitingly at him. Kenshin groaned and turned away. He flung himself into a chair and scowled at her.

"Leave."

"No."

"I want you to go away."

"I want you…." She laughed as she watched Kenshin look at her as though he expected her to say more, "and that's all I want."

"Tomoe, if you do not get off my bed and leave this very instant, I swear I will kill you and dump your body in the fish pond personally."

Tomoe reluctantly sat up and slipped off the bed. She pouted. "You are so cruel Kenshin, so cruel to use me like this."

Kenshin looked incredulous. "Use you? I haven't used you at all. All I want is to be left alone, what's so cruel about that?"

"It's cruel because you don't care, you don't care if somebody dies, or ruins their life for you."

"Is that something new? Haven't I always not cared?"

"No, it's nothing new; I suppose I am the fool for hoping. But, you're a stone." Tomoe walked across the room, till she stood before him.

Kenshin arched an eyebrow. "Tsk, my secret is finally out. What in the world shall I do now?"

As he moved, the moonlight suddenly shone upon his face, illuminating the scar on his left cheek. Tomoe gasped. Kenshin looked back at her in surprise. Tomoe reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. Kenshin stiffened. Tomoe leaned forward and ran the pad of her thumb over it.

"So many scars…nobody has ever managed to bruise you like this before." Her lip quivered and she brought her teeth on it hard. Kenshin stared at her in confusion. Tomoe was acting as though it really bothered her that he was wounded so badly. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead, she ran her fingers down his cheek. Her fingers drifted lower towards his collarbone where another, smaller scar peeked out. She pressed her palm against his chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry."

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he slipped back into his sardonic persona, "For what?"

"I forgot….how tired you would be. I was so focussed upon seeing you again that I didn't think you would want to be alone."

Kenshin pressed his lips together. Tomoe leaned against him and put her head on his shoulder, "It was so hard….not seeing you…I walked about as though I were dead." She lifted her face to him. "Kenshin, you don't know what you mean to me."

Kenshin frowned. "Tomoe, you should leave."

"I want to stay with you."

"You can't."

"Why? It's not as though it's the first time I'd be staying."

"Tomoe, leave."

"I promise not to take advantage of you while you sleep." She said mischievously.

"Very nice, but I don't trust you."

Tomoe stepped back in shock. A dark shadow flooded her eyes as the humorous glint disappeared from her face. "That is a terrible thing to say. Take it back."

"I can't. It's the truth," he replied callously.

"That is the most ungentlemanly thing you could say."

"I have never claimed to be a gentleman, if that's what you wanted, you should have gone to Aoshi."

Tomoe shook with silent, impotent rage. "I have never been so insulted in my life. You are despicable Kenshin." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and angrily walked away. At the door, she turned, "You don't deserve my love. You are a heartless, callous and sadistic man and I never want to speak to you again!" There was brightness in her eyes that might have been tears. She turned on her heel and walked away. The sharp sound of her slippers echoed in the empty hallway.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Of all the nonsensical females…." He stood, wore his gi again and followed her out. He looked around and instantly a servant appeared. Kenshin's only instructions for his servants were not to disturb him until he called for something.

He beckoned to the man, "Make sure the lady is escorted safely home."

The man bent at the waist, "Yes, Your Highness."

Kenshin watched him go and returned to his room. Dawn would crack in another hour or so. He frowned. Tomoe's visit perplexed him. What was she thinking, coming to see him like this? Especially, since he'd ended everything before leaving for Konan. Could it be that she really felt something for him? No, not possible. Their relationship had never wanted for passion or lust but could he call what they had love? No. Definitely not.

Love exploded like a cannon inside your brain. It left no room to be cautious, careful and reasonable. Love hit you with a battering ram and made you feel happy even as you lay crushed and broken on the ground. Love made you jump off a cliff without a second thought. Love made dangerous and downright suicidal things like ignoring Hiko seem like good ideas.

Kenshin smiled. Well, now that he had Hiko's attention, it was time to think about the next move.

X0X0X0X0X

**Author's Note**

Another update out. Yayyy! This was fast…by my standards, it was like at the speed of light. Haha. Okay, I'll quit with the hyperbole now. Hope you all enjoy this one. And you know what? I am loving the feedback so keep the thoughts coming in.

Please read and review.

Emumoon – Yes, The Dowager Empress is Hiko's Mother.


	22. Discovery

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

Thank you all for reviewing.

Cookies for **pie31416** for guessing what I've been hinting at since Shogou walked into this story.

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 22: Discovery**

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**Recap**

The Empress watched her curiously. "You intrigue me Kaoru."

Kaoru blinked. "May I ask why?"

"Because in all the years I have known him, Kenshin has never once asked me for anything. And when he finally did, he asked me to give you the protection of my house. I don't know if you understand or even recognise what that means to him but it has made one thing very clear to me – you are no ordinary girl."

"….."

"Now I don't know what transpired between the two of you but the mere fact that he is willing to defy Hiko for you…. makes you very interesting to me.

**End of Recap**

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Omasu sighed wearily as the gates to Thieves Quarter became visible to her. She had left the Dowager Empress's palace at first light and briskly made her way from the broad avenues of the main city to the dingy, winding alleys of Thieves Quarter where she chose to stay. When she had joined Prince Kenshin's service, she had been offered accommodation in the imperial palace but she had refused. She had chosen to remain here, in the tiny room where life had begun for her, partly to remember and hold on to her roots, and partly to stay abreast of the goings on in the imperial city. There was no better place to find out what was going on where and why.

The maze of streets finally opened upon her house. She turned the key quickly and let herself in. She shut the door and reached up above the door frame. The stub of what had once been a fat, sturdy candle poked out of a crevice in the wall. Omasu picked it up and dug the remains of the wick out from the wax with her nails. She pulled a match from her belt, struck it against the wall and lit the candle. She placed the candle stub on a circular candle holder nailed to the wall.

Sighing in weariness, she turned and almost jumped out of her skin. Hyotokko sat comfortably upon the solitary chair in her house. His legs were propped upon a low table and he held his hands behind his head. He grinned widely as she scowled at him.

"Heya Omasu! Long time no see." Omasu narrowed her eyes dangerously and frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed a disapproving look upon the large man. "You'd make a terrible dinner host. There's no food anywhere."

Omasu rolled her eyes. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you've already foraged my house for food?"

"Aw come on. I was getting bored waiting for you." He pulled a face.

"I see. Why are you here?"

"Had to deliver a message…it's from Lord Aoshi. He wants to see you right away." Hyotokko stood, crowding her for space. Omasu frowned. She stiffened and her hand strayed towards her kunai instinctively. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by the older ninja.

"That would be a bad idea Omasu. You know how clumsy I can be, if my fist accidentally slips, it'll be the waste of a perfectly pretty face."

Omasu balled her fingers into a fist and pursed her lips, "You forget I'm not completely useless. Clumsy or not, I doubt anything you throw at me would connect."

Hyotokko bared his teeth in a snarl. "You wanna give it go?" He raised his hands to his chest and cracked his knuckles loudly. Omasu carefully took a step back and slowly took a breath. She needed to calm down. This was getting her nowhere. If Lord Aoshi wanted to see her, she would have to go; there could not be any arguing about it. It would be foolish to pick a fight with Hyotokko without even knowing why she had been summoned. The first lesson Okina had ever taught her was to check her premises. Hyotokko had the advantage of being larger, stronger and more experienced than her; she would have to go along with him for now. Once she found out what this was about, she could deal with it then.

Omasu nodded and opened the door. The two ninjas stepped out in the pale light of the morning. Omasu kept her head low. She could guess why she was summoned. It was about Princess Kaoru. She had a gut feeling about it. If Hyotokko had come looking for her, it meant the hunt was on. She only hoped that she could get word to Prince Kenshin before it was too late.

X0X0X0X0X

The pale rays of the winter sun filtered through the rice paper windows at the Aoiya. A newspaper lay flat upon a low table in front of Okina, who glanced at it absently. His attention was focussed upon his successor who sat stiffly near the window, glaring at the people in the street. Aoshi stroked his chin with his left hand while his right settled upon a wakizashi strapped to his hip. He had not slept a wink all night and it showed. A faint black depression sat under each of his eyes and an unsavoury expression rested on his lips. Aoshi was upset.

Okina folded the newspaper and kept it aside. He looked at Aoshi once again and shook his head, "Why are you allowing this to affect you so much? Why do you care? This is not the first time it will happen so…."

"I know that!" Aoshi snapped back. He stood and angrily walked towards the table. "I know it all. This is not the first time nor is it the last time it will happen. My first duty is to the Emperor and it's all for the best. I know Okina. I know."

He let loose a ragged breath and dragged his fingers through his hair. "But knowing all of this is not helping me. The fact remains – killing an innocent girl merely because she is a certain man's daughter is _wrong_."

"Is there an alternative?" Okina's question dangled like a sword above Aoshi's head.

Aoshi was silent. The answer he had to Okina's question rankled at his mind. Okina propped his chin in his hand, "The sooner you accept that you have no say in this matter, the better it will be for you. The girl's fate is regrettable but it is final. Once you find out where she is, you must put an end to all of this. "

Aoshi turned. "And Kenshin…what will I say to him? How am I supposed to face him after this?"

Okina smiled. "Kenshin will forgive you. You are his cousin and he loves you."

Aoshi shook his head. His lips curled into a sad smile. "He loves Kaoru too….perhaps more than any of us realize. If she dies, he will destroy everything." His eyes pleaded wordlessly with his master, who stared back at him with stony eyes.

"He will do no such thing." Okina stood and leisurely took two steps towards the window. "He cannot yet stand against the Emperor and he knows that. He will do nothing that will jeopardise his position. Have faith. Whatever the Emperor is doing, is for his good." Okina turned his head slightly as he heard a faint step outside the door.

The door slid open half an inch and Hannya's soft voice spoke, "Hyotokko has arrived with Omasu, my lords. Should I send them up?"

Aoshi took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.

He looked at Hannya and nodded. Hannya bent his head and retreated. Minutes later, Hyotokko and Omasu were standing inside the room, waiting. Okina returned to his seat at the table and sat back, watching Aoshi take control of the proceedings.

Aoshi glanced at Hyotokko, who jerked his head towards Omasu and shook his head. With a scowl buried on his face, Aoshi looked at Omasu, his icy blue eyes sharper than usual. "Omasu, Prince Kenshin asked you to escort a lady on his return to Kutou, where is she?"

Omasu kept her face taut, not moving a single muscle. She had known it would come to this. Easy now Omasu, you can't let Prince Kenshin down. Easy. She affected a look of utter incomprehension and blankness. "I'm not sure I understand, my lord."

Aoshi frowned. "You took that lady someplace in a carriage. I saw you."

Omasu smiled sheepishly. "The prince has so many ladies, my lord. It becomes difficult to keep track of them all. But I will try…erm…do you mean Miss Yukishiro? She's at her family estate if I'm not mistaken."

Aoshi smirked. "I do not mean Miss Yukishiro and you know it. Now stop wasting my time and tell me where you have taken Princess Kaoru."

Omasu scrunched up her nose and shut her eyes tight as though she was trying very hard to remember something. "I am terribly sorry my lord, but that is an unfamiliar name. I don't think I've heard it before."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes while Okina smiled to himself. The little cardsharp was nothing if not loyal to Kenshin.

Hyotokko took a step forward. "Maybe I can persuade her, my lord." He crackled his knuckles. Omasu looked at him disinterestedly. Her face betrayed no fear or nervousness. She didn't have the best poker face in all of Thieves Quarter for nothing.

Hyotokko stepped forward, flexing his muscles. Aoshi watched Omasu for any change in expression but there was none. She looked as though the prospect of Hyotokko's fist hitting her didn't bother her in the slightest. He would wait and see just how far that confidence could go. He gave the smallest of nods to Hyotokko, letting him know that he should just scare Omasu a little. Hyotokko took another small step forward. He grinned widely. His teeth flashed. Omasu watched his hands from the corner of her eye, ready to defend herself as soon as the blow fell.

Suddenly, the door opened, the impatient anger with which it was pulled aside startled everyone in the room as much as the sound of wood hitting wood.

Everyone in the room turned towards the door.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Three men against one girl. Even the great Oniwabanshu ninjas will behave like street thugs if they're desperate. How the mighty have fallen."

Kenshin stood at the entrance of the room; waves of unrest and rage swept off his body and into the room, engulfing the air with tension. His hand rested on the sliding door. He stepped inside and snapped the door shut behind him. Turning a cold glance towards Okina and Aoshi, he strode into the room and stepped between Hyotokko and Omasu, glaring at him angrily.

Hyotokko stepped back, startled and confused. The molten hue of the prince's eyes unnerved him.

Kenshin looked at Aoshi and arched an eyebrow. "Is this what it's come to Aoshi? Sneaking behind my back, getting to my people and threatening them?"

Aoshi settled into a chair near the window. He looked back at Kenshin unrepentantly. "There's been no threatening. We were just having a conversation."

"With Hyotokko's fists? What is wrong with you Aoshi? Trying to scare a woman into telling you want by shoving this gorilla in her face – have you no more sense than that?" He snapped.

Aoshi stared back at him. He didn't blink even once. Kenshin looked from him to Okina and stepped towards him. "You want to find something out, ask _me_. I'll answer you." Aoshi looked at him and smirked.

"So if I ask you about Kaoru's whereabouts, you'll tell me, will you?" Aoshi sneered.

Kenshin smiled, "Is that all? Well then, sure. I'll tell you about her whereabouts. She's safe, absolutely safe. She's someplace where you and your bunch of clowns won't even dream of looking. And she's going to stay there until she is ready to come to court. Is that all you wanted to know?"

A muscle twitched on Aoshi's forehead and he replied in a deadpan voice, "I want her location."

Kenshin laughed softly. "Well, you're going to have to work a little bit harder than that Aoshi. I can't do everything for you." He turned and grasped Omasu's hand. "We'll be leaving now." He pulled Omasu along behind him. He felt her tremble slightly. He stopped and turned to look at her. She smiled weakly at him. He frowned and glared at the three men in the room.

"If I ever find you, any of you threatening Omasu again, you'll have my anger to deal with." He pulled Omasu in front of him and gently guided her out of the room, sliding the door open viciously. The door shot out of its groove and bent to one side. He led her out of the maze within the walls of the Aoiya. As they stepped out into the sunlight, Kenshin gently let go of Omasu's hand. A carriage stopped before them and he helped her inside.

Kenshin watched her with concern. It would not have been easy for Omasu to stand up to Aoshi and Okina. She was fearless in a fight but Aoshi and Okina were the two men she respected the most in the world. Earning their ire by refusing to answer their questions would have been hard on her. He looked out the window.

Omasu stared at her hands. She looked up at the prince, who was busy watching the streets rush past. "Thank you Your Highness!" She blurted out.

Kenshin looked at her in surprise. He didn't answer, merely arched an eyebrow as though he expected her to explain.

Omasu shrugged, "For helping me out back there."

"Don't be silly Omasu. Did you think I would leave you at the mercy of those idiots? Of course not. I know how to take care of my people." He stared out the window again. "Besides, I suppose I'm to blame for what happened. But you don't need to worry; I don't think they'll bother you anymore."

"I wasn't scared."

"I know." He replied with a smile. "But that's not the point. They had no business threatening you. They knew they would get nothing by pursuing me so they decided to pick on you. Cowards!" He curled his fingers into a fist.

He shook his head. "I never would have expected this of Aoshi."

Omasu tilted her head. "I don't suppose he has a choice."

Kenshin glanced at her and smiled mischievously. "Can't stand to hear a word against him, can you?" He watched Omasu squirm in her seat with amused eyes. Her humongous crush on Aoshi was like the proverbial elephant in the room. No one spoke of it yet everybody knew. He shook his head. "Everyone has a choice. It's what you choose to do that really defines you." He was silent then, and looked out of the window again.

Omasu sat up suddenly. "How did you know where to find me? I didn't get a chance to pass on a message."

Kenshin shrugged. "I went to your house. You weren't there. But your tracks were fresh. So I started thinking. Aoshi met Shishou yesterday. I knew he'd start searching for Kaoru immediately. And you'd be the first person he would ask if his own sources didn't have any information, which they wouldn't because it only struck me to leave Kaoru at Grandma's late last night."

Omasu nodded vigorously. Kenshin continued, "Any questioning done by the Oniwabanshu is on their turf, so I had a pretty good idea that I'd find you at the Aoiya."

"Oh." She sat back as she realized how simple it had been for the prince to figure out what had happened to her. It was comforting to know he was looking out for her. To be honest, she hadn't expected it of him. She was a servant, a small cog amongst the thousands that did his bidding. If she encountered trouble whilst doing her job, it was understood that it was not his problem. That was the way things worked with most nobles. Omasu felt her lips curve into a smile as she watched the prince stare out of the window. But then, Prince Kenshin was nothing like most nobles. She felt proud of him. She was proud to be working for him and proud also of the way in which he had conducted himself in this whole incident – with dignity.

He was angry with the Oniwabanshu for singling her out but he hadn't lost control of his temper even once. He hadn't shown even a fraction of the anger she knew he was capable of; he had acted promptly and with intent to get his point across. She knew how difficult it had been for him. He was tremendously fond of Lord Aoshi and Okina both. The turmoil she had seen in his eyes as they left the Aoiya was due to his closeness to them. Lord Aoshi's role in the hunt for Kaoru hurt him even though he would never admit it.

She smiled wryly. It was strange that he should be called icy, arrogant, and devoid of emotion. If he could get this concerned about her, she shuddered to think what he was capable of doing for Princess Kaoru.

Omasu took a deep breath. "Well, what do we do now, Your Highness?"

A slow, mischievous smile stole across Kenshin's lips. His eyes danced. "Now we wait for them to find out where Kaoru is. And we watch their faces."

X0X0X0X0X

Megumi tried hard not to stare as she was led into the glittering parlour of the Dowager Empress's palace. Her heart thumped. She had never been inside this magnificent place before. It was like walking through a dream. Everything about this palace was pristine and beautiful. Even more exciting, was the fact that she was going to meet the Dowager Empress! To see her, to talk to her from such close proximity was the rarest of rare opportunities.

The Dowager Empress was an extremely private person who stayed as far from the coteries of the imperial court as she could. She made no secret of her impatience with the glittering gatherings of the aristocracy and chose to remain at her palace even for visits by delegates of other kingdoms. She wielded tremendous power and was not wary of exercising her power for causes she believed in even if it put her directly at odds with her son, Hiko Seijurou the Thirteenth.

Still, to be called to attend to such a personality was both exciting and frightening. She had no idea what to expect although, she remembered that Kenshin always spoke of her with fondness and unrestrained affection. Usually it would be her uncle who would be honoured with this responsibility but strangely, the summons had specifically named her, so here she was.

Megumi swept some imaginary lint off her sleeve and clutched the handle of her medicine bag tightly. A lady had shown her into a sort of outer chamber where she was asked to wait before the Dowager Empress would see her. The room was opulent yet not ostentatious. It was elegant and understated; a lot like the Dowager Empress herself.

The door opened and a lady beckoned her inside. Megumi quickly stepped into the room and looked around. The Dowager Empress sat at a writing desk, gesturing her to sit.

"I won't be long now dear, just take a seat." She looked up for just the fraction of a second before turning her eyes back towards her letter. Megumi looked about and decided upon a straight backed chair with leather upholstery. She carefully placed her medicine bag on the carpet and waited.

The Dowager Empress rolled up her letter, sealed it and dropped it into the hands of one of her ladies.

She stood effortlessly. Megumi followed suit immediately and curtseyed. "Your Highness, please let me tell you it has been my fondest dream to attend to you for years. Kenshin has told me so much about you and I can't believe I'm really here. It's …a tremendous honour."

The Dowager Empress smiled warmly, "Kenshin speaks very highly of you. And so does Hiko. And your dedication at the Infirmary has pleasantly surprised me." She crossed the room and sat upon an armchair near Megumi. "In this day and age, young girls are happier being pursued for their beauty and charm rather than spending their time taking care of the wounded and sick. I have wanted to meet you for a long time so I thought I should call and ask for your advice regarding a small matter."

Megumi bowed. "I am deeply honoured Your Highness."

The Empress smiled. "I want you to attend to a young friend of mine. She's travelled quite a distance and met with an unfortunate accident on the way." She turned to a lady at the door, "Maira, please ask Kaoru to come in."

Megumi sat still but her mind was working furiously. So it wasn't the Empress herself who needed attention. Maybe a guest of hers? Probably. But how strange, Kaoru was not a common name….but she didn't have the time to continue thinking about it.

The door opened once more. Megumi stood and turned to see her patient. It was a young girl, about nineteen years of age. She had midnight blue hair that was tied at the back of her head in a no-nonsense ponytail, milk-and-peaches skin, and large, expressive eyes that seemed to shine. Megumi studied her carefully from tip to toe. She watched as the Empress fondly held the girl's hand and had her sit next to her.

"Megumi, this is Kaoru. I want you to check for any injuries or wounds." The Empress laughed at her expression. "Don't be alarmed. Kaoru is….quite adventurous. She keeps falling into scrapes."

Megumi nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

The Empress stood. "Well then, I'll leave you. Maira will stay and help you with anything you need."

She turned to Kaoru, "Don't hesitate. Megumi is a fine healer." Megumi narrowed her eyes and looked curiously at the girl. She seemed strange…somewhat. Maybe it was the way she held herself, maybe it was her eyes, she had an unconscious air of majesty around her…..

Megumi watched her surreptitiously. Her hair fell in soft waves; the fashion in Kutou was to keep hair poker straight with a wide fringe. She used no kohl to darken her eyes and her soft pink lips were completely bare of colour.

Megumi gave Kaoru her professional smile, the smile that meant business. "Lady Kaoru, if you would please," Maira drew a screen forward, "Oh, thank you. Yes, if you could tell me where the pain is concentrated, I can look into it."

Kaoru smiled. "It's just some cuts," she pulled her sleeves up slightly. Megumi raised her eyebrows as she saw faint dark lines etched across her arms, where the blood has clotted over the scratches she had received while falling from the cliff. Megumi reached out and took her arm. Kaoru shivered slightly.

Megumi turned her arm over gently, "Where did you fall off to get cuts like these?" Megumi slowed her movements as she felt calluses upon the girl's palms.

Kaoru kept silent. She didn't know if she should tell Megumi the truth upfront. But, she knew how strange it would sound so she decided to say nothing. However, Maira seemed to have no such compulsions. The garrulous lady was bursting for a chance to get a word in about the Empress's guest and she grabbed it.

"Oh Miss Takani, it could have been a lot worse. We should thank the dragons that Prince Kenshin jumped straight after her to save her…or I shudder to think what could have happened. It was so brave of him, to risk his life so easily…and…"

Kaoru gaped at her in shock, "Lady Maira that will be enough, thank you." She fought against the impulse to bite her lip. But Megumi was staring at her, and she knew she couldn't do or say anything that would give her away.

"I see. Lady Kaoru, I'll give you some ointment for the cuts, and it should take care of the scars as well." She reached into her bag, took a few herbs out, carefully drew out her mortar and pestle, and expertly pounded away at the herbs to make a fine powder. "Mix this with water and apply a think coat on all the cuts. They will heal."

"Thank you."

"It's an honour serving the Empress. Don't worry about it." Megumi smiled at her. Kaoru stood with her. She was about to accompany her out but Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder. "You should rest. Sometimes, an injury is internal and we don't realize its there because we can't see it. I suggest you lie down for a while." Kaoru nodded and returned to the room she had come from.

Megumi watched out of the corner of her eyes as Maira put the screen away and came to lead her back outside. Megumi was intrigued. Who was this girl? She was exquisitely beautiful yet bore no resemblance to the Empress. She could not be a grand daughter or a niece since apart from her two sons, the Dowager Empress had only one daughter who was no more, and who had given birth to only one child - Aoshi. Where did this girl fit into all of this?

She was definitely not a blood relative and she had never seen her before at court. The Dowager Empress wouldn't keep just anybody with her….and what was her connection to Kenshin? Because there definitely was a connection, but none of them wanted to speak of it. Lady Maira said that Kenshin had risked his life to save her. Why would he do that? Megumi grinned slyly. It was a mystery and it had piqued her interest. She simply had to find out who she was, and the best place to start would be the perpetual gossip – Lady Maira.

She waited until they had reached the outer corridors to broach the subject with Lady Maira.

"Lady Maira, please make sure Lady Kaoru gets enough rest and make sure she doesn't accidentally fall. It could make the pain worse." Megumi cast a sidelong glance at Lady Maira who seemed to be carefully storing away her tips in her mind. "Tell me; is she very clumsy…does this sort of thing happen very often?"

Lady Maira's words had Megumi wide-eyed. "Oh no, Princess Kaoru is easily the most graceful young lady I have seen in years. She reminds me of the Dowager Empress when she was younger." She giggled and stopped short as she saw Megumi staring at her. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped loudly. "Oh heavens! I didn't….oh my…this is terrible!"

She clasped Megumi's hands. "Miss Takani, you must not tell a soul what you just heard. I was not supposed to say anything but I forgot entirely. Oh if news of this gets out, I shall be severely out of favour. Please, you must not tell anybody!"

Megumi stared at the ground. "That girl….is Princess Kaoru…from Konan?"

Lady Maira nodded gently. "Yes. Prince Kenshin brought her with him when he returned. He practically begged the Empress to look after her…after all, the law demands that she be put to death. It's not fair, don't you think…especially for one so young."

Megumi nodded slowly. She silently took her leave. The skin over her knuckles was taut and white as she lifted her medicine bag inside. She let the bag drop to the floor of the carriage and sat as still as a statue. Kenshin had brought that girl back with him. Why? Didn't he know what would happen to her here? Why had he brought her?

The carriage came to a standstill outside the Infirmary. Megumi stepped out and walked inside mechanically, without looking where she was going. She knew the infirmary so well that she didn't miss a single turn as she came to her office, put her medicine bag away. She slowly sunk into her chair and stared at the surface of her table.

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts. She looked up and smiled as she saw the young man standing at the door.

"Aoshi!" She stood and stepped out from behind the table. "How are you?"

Aoshi smiled. "Good." He held her hands to his lips and gently dropped a kiss. "I should ask you that. I heard you had a rough time looking after Sano."

Megumi flustered and fought back the blush that flooded her face. "Wh-What do you mean? It was alright. Besides, he was asleep most of the time, and my uncle was here and…everything was normal….like it always is….like it's supposed to be…" She backed away and methodically began removing herbs from her bag.

Aoshi frowned slightly, watching her stumble around for words. That wasn't normal for Megumi. She usually had enough retorts to last an army of smart-mouthed men.

"And why would you say something like that? Did Sano say anything to you?"

"No." Aoshi replied with confusion. "Why? Did something happen between you two?"

"No!" Megumi laughed nervously. "Whatever gave you that idea, nothing happened, absolutely nothing…. not even by mistake."

Aoshi gave her a strange look. "Alright, if you say so." Megumi turned back towards emptying her bag and cleaning out her mortar and pestle. Aoshi wandered aimlessly behind her and stood next to her, watching as she expertly cleaned out the remains of the herbs. He smiled as he recognised a few herbs that the healers on campaign had used to treat Kenshin.

"Hey, is this turmeric?" He picked up an orange-coloured root. Megumi glanced at it.

"Yes, in its fresh form. When we dry it, the colour changes to yellow." Aoshi nodded.

"We used a lot of that for Kenshin."

Megumi slapped her hand to her forehead. "Oh, is he alright? I meant to go see him but I've just been swamped with work. I wanted to go see him today but then I got a summons from the Dowager Empress, so I had to go see her."

Aoshi snapped his head up. "You got a summons from Grandma? Why? Is she alright? What happened?" He asked urgently.

Megumi bit her tongue and cursed herself for being so dense. "Yes, Aoshi, don't worry. She's fine. She just called me for one of her ladies."

Aoshi looked at her searchingly. "You're sure there's nothing wrong with Grandma?"

"Yes! I'm absolutely sure. She is fine." Megumi crossed to the shelves where she kept her supplies and pulled down a bag of fresh turmeric. "Oh no, I'm going to have to call for more turmeric. I finished most of my stock at the Empress's palace." She muttered softly.

Aoshi coughed. "Uh Megumi, so you haven't spoken to Kenshin yet?"

Megumi glanced at him. "I haven't had the time yet. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Just asking." He headed towards the door. "I will come see you at home Megumi. Sorry to barge in on you like this."

Megumi waved at him absently. "Don't worry about it."

Aoshi strode out of the Infirmary. He cursed under his breath. Kenshin hadn't even come to see Megumi. He was certain that Megumi might have some information that would prove useful. Even if Kenshin didn't tell her about Kaoru outright, he would have definitely asked her for help. But, there was nothing in Megumi's manner that suggested that she even knew about Kaoru's existence let alone helping her. Where could he go from here? He had absolutely no clues. It was as though, Kaoru had disappeared into thin air. She was at none of Kenshin's palaces. Megumi couldn't be shielding her. Sanosuke was still recovering from his injuries; he simply wasn't in any shape to help Kenshin, even though he would be the first one to extend help if he knew about it. He couldn't believe he had nothing to show for an entire day's of searching.

He pinched the bridge of his nose…..and froze. His hands shook as the germ of an idea began to take hold inside of him. If he was Kenshin, and he had a girl to hide from the Emperor, wouldn't he choose a place where nobody would dare search….a place where even the Emperor would tread softly…..

Megumi's words echoed in his mind. _"I wanted to go see him today but then I got a summons from the Empress. She wanted me to attend to one of her ladies."_

What sort of injury would a lady-in-waiting at the Dowager Empress's palace acquire that would require all the turmeric that Megumi could carry in her medicine bag?

A vision of Kaoru falling from the cliff in the Blue Mountains surfaced in his mind as he finally realized where Kenshin had hidden Kaoru away. His heart raced even as his mind told him to calm down. Unconcerned with how uncouth it would seem, Aoshi put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, and seconds later his horse was led up to him. He mounted and galloped through the streets at breakneck speed.

He reined his horse to a standstill in front of the Dowager Empress's palace, jumped off and rushed inside. Forcing his mind to state of calm, he took a deep breath; he pushed the doors to his grandmother's room open and strode in.

The Dowager Empress sat at a chess table. She looked up as another of her grandsons marched into her home for a second time in two days. She smiled, "Aoshi… what a wonderful surprise to see you child." She watched as his burning gaze drifted away from her and landed upon the figure sitting opposite to her. "I believe you have already met Kaoru."

X0X0X0X0X

**Author's Note**

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the lovely reviews. please excuse any spelling mistakes or glaring grammatical errors. I've posted this after the first write because I am getting impatient with this. haha. No, I just want to get to later chapters. haha.

hope you like the chapter. Please review!

P.S. Nobody told me how infuriating writing quasi-lemons can be. pffft!


	23. Playing by Heart

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

Thank you all for reviewing.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 23: Play By Heart**

* * *

**Recap**

He pinched the bridge of his nose…..and froze. His hands shook as the germ of an idea began to take hold inside of him. If he was Kenshin, and he had a girl to hide from the Emperor, wouldn't he choose a place where nobody would dare search….a place where even the Emperor would tread softly…..

Megumi's words echoed in his mind. _"I wanted to go see him today but then I got a summons from the Empress. She wanted me to attend to one of her ladies."_

What sort of injury would a lady-in-waiting at the Dowager Empress's palace acquire that would require all the turmeric that Megumi could carry in her medicine bag?

A vision of Kaoru falling from the cliff in the Blue Mountains surfaced in his mind as he finally realized where Kenshin had hidden Kaoru away. His heart raced even as his mind told him to calm down. Unconcerned with how uncouth it would seem, Aoshi put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, and seconds later his horse was led up to him. He mounted and galloped through the streets at breakneck speed.

He reined his horse to a standstill in front of the Dowager Empress's palace, jumped off and rushed inside. Forcing his mind to state of calm, he took a deep breath; he pushed the doors to his grandmother's room open and strode in.

The Dowager Empress sat at a chess table. She looked up as another of her grandsons marched into her home for a second time in two days. She smiled, "Aoshi… what a wonderful surprise to see you child." She watched as his burning gaze drifted away from her and landed upon the figure sitting opposite to her. "I believe you have already met Kaoru."

**End of Recap**

* * *

His eyes flew to her face. She smiled happily back at him, her eyes shining with merriment. She was happy to see him and made no effort to hide it. He was after all, the closest thing she had to a confidante here in Kutou. He had shown her compassion and understanding when she expected none. The only reason she had been willing to take a gamble on Kenshin and recklessly follow him to Kutou had been because she knew that Aoshi would not let anything bad happen to her. He would protect her….from Kenshin and the disturbing intent she saw clearly in his intense eyes.

Aoshi stood like a wall between her and Kenshin – always holding the prince off even if he failed to keep Kenshin's desire for her under wraps as he thought appropriate. He had watched over her and guarded her as best as he could and for that alone, she was grateful. She knew Kenshin better now – knew the lengths he could go for her, knew that she had nothing to fear while he was around …but even so, knowing Aoshi was looking out for her made her feel more secure.

She smiled at him, expecting him to respond but when he didn't reply, her smile faded uncertainly and she turned her attention back to the game. The smile slowly died on her lips and she sunk her teeth into them; wondering what had happened to unsettle Aoshi so much.

Against his will, Aoshi perused her face as she once more became lost in the game, quietly taking in the soft murmur of her lips, the playful frowning as she surveyed her last move, and the glow that flooded her face. He watched dumbfounded as his grandmother and the girl he was supposed to get rid of argued amiably over the chessboard. The sudden laughter of the ladies in the background jarred in his ears and he frowned. Kaoru caught sight of his face and raised her eyebrows slightly in curiosity.

Aoshi deliberately avoided her eyes and stepped forward. It was time to take charge. "Grandma, I need to speak to you."

The Dowager Empress looked up from her chess pieces and furrowed her eyebrows together inquisitively. Aoshi set his mouth in a stern line and looked at her pointedly. "In private." He mellowed his voice down a notch as he caught the tell tale signs of irritation appear on his grandmother's face. "Please Grandma."

The Dowager Empress didn't stir for a while, watching carefully as Aoshi studiously avoided looking at Kaoru and stared at his feet. She rose majestically and strode out of the room. "You may want to study your last move Kaoru." Aoshi followed close on her heels. He shut the door carefully behind him. The heaviness of his purpose weighed him down and he knew he was fighting a losing battle where Kaoru was concerned. The Dowager Empress was obviously very taken with her. But then, if that were the case then perhaps, there was a way out of his particular problem. Maybe, the only way to escape killing Kaoru was right here, right in front of him. All he had to do, was play his cards right.

"Well? Are you going to say something?"

Aoshi raised his head suddenly, as though he had just realized that the Empress was with him. "What?"

The Dowager Empress rolled her eyes. "Really Aoshi, what is wrong with you? You pulled me away from an invigorating game and now you're completely clueless as to why you did it. Besides, did you have to be so rude? Kaoru must be shocked."

"It will take a lot more than that to shock her," He muttered slowly.

"Aoshi! Are you even listening to me?" The Dowager Empress rebuked him. Aoshi looked up. The look in his eyes stunned her. She waited.

"Kaoru doesn't need to listen to what I have to say. But you do. And it is vital that you explain this to Kenshin as well."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about this stunt you pulled, the two of you! Grandma, I can understand Kenshin's reasons for doing what he did, but why did you go along with it? Why did you keep Kaoru here?"

"Because I like that girl, and I think she deserves a chance to pick up the pieces of her life. If by staying here, and looking after the interests of her people, she finds a reason to live again, then I am going to support her every step of the way."

"I understand that Grandma, but why couldn't you have informed us about it?"

"Oh." She arched an eyebrow. "I was not aware that I am required to inform you about any guests I choose to entertain at my palace." She replied coldly. Aoshi shook his head.

"No, Grandma, you're misunderstanding me."

"I understand perfectly. You may tell Hiko that I will entertain whomsoever I want in my palace and there is nothing he can do about it." She stood abruptly, signalling the end of the conversation.

"Grandma, wait, just listen to me. I'm trying to make this easy for everyone, especially for Kaoru."

The Dowager Empress stopped and turned to look at him once more. Aoshi nodded reassuringly. He was about to speak once more when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." The Dowager Empress called out pensively. A lady walked in and whispered in her ear. She looked apprehensively at Aoshi. The Empress turned slightly, "Tell him to wait for a while. I won't be long."

Turning to Aoshi, she arched an eyebrow, "I'm listening."

oOoOoOo

Kenshin waited patiently as a maid let him into his grandmother's sitting room. It was empty. He glanced at the maid questioningly. The maid bowed, keeping her eyes on the ground and spoke, "The Empress will be with you shortly, Your Highness." He nodded and flung himself onto a recliner.

He stared at the colourful dragons painted on the ceiling. The sound of hurried footsteps outside drew his attention, and he turned his head to the source of the noise. The door suddenly opened. Kaoru rushed into the room, walking as fast as her kimono allowed, and shut the door behind her. She seemed not to notice his presence in the room. She drew a breath of relief and clapped a hand to her chest, before turning to listen at the door. Kenshin sat up, a slow smile spread across his lips. He had never seen Kaoru like this – released from the heaviness of sorrow, anger, guilt, hatred and the bitterness. For an instant there, he felt as though the girl he had seen in the palanquin on that fateful night in Kansan was resurrected in front of him. Those joyful eyes, that glittering smile, that uninhibited, wild joy of being alive – for a moment, it seemed possible that he might once again melt in the magic of those eyes.

But it was not to be.

Kaoru looked up and saw him. Her fingers froze around the fabric of her kimono. Her eyebrows shot up and her lips parted in surprise. Kenshin froze. He didn't know how she would respond to his presence. He had left in a hurry the day he had brought her here. That day…he had felt as though in some corner of her heart, Kaoru was getting used to him, being around him – hadn't she been confused and surprised when he had told her that she would now be on her own? The words she hadn't spoken but he had felt. She hadn't been prepared to be left behind. She had perhaps, wanted to remain by his side. Or maybe he was simply seeing what he wanted to see….reading what he wanted to read in her eyes. He wondered how she would react to seeing him so suddenly.

"Kenshin…." She took an uncertain step forward, deeply conscious of the way his eyes roamed over her frame, studying her from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes.

He smiled. "Kaoru." He jerked his head towards the door. "Hiding from someone?"

"Oh." She opened the door a tiny inch and peered out. Whatever it was apparently satisfied her and she tuned to him once more. "Yes, I am hiding from Lady Maira."

Kenshin kept a straight face, but his eyes twinkled with merriment. "Really? Why?"

"She talks too much." Kaoru rolled her eyes slightly. "I honestly don't know where she gets the stamina."

More footsteps could be heard outside. Kaoru looked at the door and sighed. The door opened and sure enough, Lady Maira stood there, with her lips open in the shape of an 'O'. She looked from Kenshin to Kaoru and bustled into the room, bowing low before Kenshin.

"Your Highness! What a surprise…I was just looking for the princess. Fancy the coincidence that she happened to be here. If I may just borrow her for awhile…." She held Kaoru by the elbow, ready to lead her out the room. Kaoru stuck her lower lip out and glanced at Kenshin, sending a silent appeal to him to help her. Kenshin frowned.

He looked at Lady Maira with dismissive eyes. "No, you may not borrow her. Leave her here… thank you." He added as an afterthought, a fact that did not escape Lady Maira. The lady shook with silent indignation as she stiffly bowed and turned on her heel without a backward glance. Kaoru watched her leave in mortification.

Kenshin smiled at her. "It's that easy to get rid of a nuisance."

Kaoru stared at him. "Have you any idea how rude that was? No, don't answer that. I can see you're completely clueless….or you couldn't care less."

Kenshin shrugged. "One of the few perks of being who I am I guess. I thought you wanted to be free of her." Kaoru shook her head.

"Not like that though. I didn't want to hurt her. I had better go find her. She must be feeling awful." Kaoru began to walk towards the door. Kenshin stood suddenly and blocked her way. Kaoru looked startled.

"What are you doing?"

"I haven't seen you in two days, and now you're leaving me to go comfort a blabbermouth?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"…..why should it matter to you?"

"Why?" Kenshin looked incredulous. "Don't you know why?" His voice dropped huskily. Kaoru stared at her feet and mumbled something. She distinctly felt a wave of something hot race through her body as his eyes languorously dropped to her lips and back to her eyes. Kenshin leaned forward.

"I didn't hear that Kaoru. What were you saying?"

The mumbling became minutely comprehensible as Kaoru raised her voice by a fraction of what was required to be understood. "I was saying…that I have to go now. Please move aside."

"No." Kenshin replied flatly.

Kaoru swallowed. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. Finally, she frowned slightly, "Kenshin, stop being so difficult and let me pass."

"What's the hurry?"

"Look, Lady Maira…"

"Lady Maira can take care of herself." He stepped closer and clasped her hand but she seemed not to notice because she continued to insist how terrible Lady Maira must be feeling and how she should go check on her and it wasn't right to treat someone like that and she was being so nice and it was really unnecessary. Kenshin smiled in amusement. He wondered if Kaoru even realized that he was playing with the fingers of her hand. She was so busy avoiding his eyes and staring at the floor that he suspected that whatever he was doing didn't register in her mind because she was far too busy paying attention to anything but him.

The faint blush flooding her face became more pronounced and he was curious as to how far he could take the teasing without stirring Kaoru's flaming temper. He linked his fingers with hers and stepped even closer.

"It's not right to take advantage of your position like that and I really think you should be less selfish and start being a little bit more amiable to the people around you and what on earth are you doing?" Kaoru exclaimed as she felt his lips brush against the back of her hand. Her eyes grew wide as she finally noticed her fingers entwined with his.

Kenshin shrugged as though he had no idea what she was talking about. She pulled her hand away from him. "Stop that! I don't believe this! Kenshin, have you no self control whatsoever?"

"None where you're concerned." He replied smoothly.

Kaoru blanched. She looked away immediately. "You…I could kill you. How dare you..ugh…this is ridiculous. Is it impossible for you to behave?"

"What did I do?" He feigned innocence.

"Are you serious? You can't go about kissing people's hands!"

"And I don't. It's just you." He shrugged. "What can I say? You are irresistible."

"Well I never said you could do that to me!"

"Well, if you're going to be technical about it, you never said I couldn't either."

"This is unbelievable. This is wrong and depraved, and immoral, and….it's just wrong. You just can't do things like this Kenshin."

"Why?"

"Because…I…I.." Kaoru took a deep breath and looked up at Kenshin. His eyes gleamed with desire – desire she couldn't deny and couldn't ignore. The stirrings of which she was fighting everyday now, the awakening of which she simply _had_ to stop. "Because, I am committed to someone and I care for him a lot and you doing all these things…it's _wrong_. You shouldn't do or say things like this. It's…don't you see?"

Kenshin watched her calmly. She was wringing her hands. He tilted his head slightly as though trying to get a better look at her. "I don't see, no. What does that have to do with me?"

Kaoru gaped at him. "Kenshin, you cannot pursue someone who is committed. It's wrong to do so."

"Are you committed?"

"I am engaged Kenshin."

"Alright, where is your man then?"

She gasped and turned away from him. It was a simple question that had no simple answer. In an instant, she was reminded once more of her loss, and loneliness. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart….and then, nothing. The pain was strangely less acute. It passed quickly. The usual rage she felt smothered in when she thought of the past was also missing. Kaoru felt her heart beating fast. But the avalanche of emotion that used to drown her other senses was silent for some strange reason.

"This man you're so loyal to, he should be protecting you then, shouldn't he? If he really cares about you, he should be here, looking after you, protecting you from…lots of things. He should never have left you alone. Especially, when the city is under siege."

Kaoru felt a wave of anger rise within her as her loyalty to Okita stirred to life again. "Don't talk about Okita like that. You don't know anything about him."

"I know that he left the girl he was responsible for alone to fend for herself."

"He had no say in what happened! Don't blame him."

"He had no say? And this is the person you were going to spend the rest of your life with?"

"In case you don't remember, Kansan was being invaded. He had responsibilities. And I was being taken care of."

"And we both know how that ended."

A cry of anger and annoyance escaped her lips. Tears began to spill from her eyes. Hearing Kenshin say these things about Okita tore at her already confused heart. She trembled.

"Don't talk about it like you know everything! You're the reason he had to leave me, because he had to go fight! If you hadn't invaded Kansan then, I would have been married by now!" Her eyes flashed in challenge.

Kenshin clenched his jaw. He felt the skin over his knuckles grow taut, as his fingers curled into a fist. "In that case, I consider our timing to be most fortunate." Kaoru stepped back, desperate for some distance between them.

Kenshin bit his lip. He hadn't intended on saying all that; it had just tumbled out but there was no stepping away from it now. He exhaled. Well, at least Kaoru had heard him; usually she would just shut him off and jump to conclusions but this time, it had been different. Oh she was still angry and hurt too but the borderline irrationality with which she viewed his every word was absent. And anyway, everything he had said was the truth, and it was better he had let it out. He was challenging Okita Souji's claim to her and Kaoru ought to know it.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin's voice cut across her thoughts and brought her back to the present. She slowly turned to look at him. His eyes were filled with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." She seemed surprised and relieved.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe you need more time, but Kaoru, I just want you to know. Take all the time you need. I won't change my mind." He leaned closer, his body stood dangerously close to her; he was close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body on her skin. Kaoru stepped away from him.

"Please…don't look at me like that."

"Does it bother you?"

"It makes me uncomfortable."

He inclined his head. "I apologise. I will try to rein in any impulse that might make you uncomfortable." He stepped away from the door, allowing her to pass through unencumbered.

The door opened once more. The Dowager Empress and Aoshi stood in the doorway, their faces the mirrors of surprise and shock as Kaoru stood rooted to her spot, eyes locked with Kenshin's, neither of them in the slightest bit aware that they had an audience. The Dowager Empress looked from one to the other and smiled knowingly. Aoshi gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled his eyes. He coughed loudly, much to the annoyance of the Empress.

Kaoru was the first to move. She dropped a small curtsey to the Dowager Empress and swiftly made her exit, eager to be out of the way for once. She quickly walked through the corridor that led to her room, shut the door firmly behind her and collapsed on the bed. She flipped over and pulled a pillow under her arms. Resting her chin on it, she shut her eyes.

She turned again. Lying on her side, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her body. What had happened today was dangerous. She had crossed a boundary she could never retreat from. What she had tried to hide and keep secret, even from herself, was out in the open. Kenshin….knew. And there was no escaping it.

oOoOoOo

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Kenshin looked pointedly at Aoshi, a scowl glued to his features.

"Now, now Kenshin, that is no way to speak to your cousin." The Dowager Empress settled down on the recliner. She adjusted her sash carefully around her elbows. "Aoshi has something very important to tell you and I think you should listen to him." She nodded encouragingly at Aoshi.

Aoshi turned to Kenshin. "Look, I know you're upset. Things got a little out of hand."

"A little out of hand? Is that your story?"

"What did you want me to do Kenshin? For crying out loud! I had orders from Hiko!"

"I never expected you to disobey him. That was the furthest thing from my mind. I never expected you to shield and help me hide Kaoru but what I did expect was for you to play straight. Sneaking around, threatening Omasu…that just wasn't worth you Aoshi." Kenshin shot back.

Aoshi bit his lip. "I run an organisation of ninjas. How did you expect me to act on this?"

Kenshin turned to face him. "Oh forgive me for expecting my cousin to act a little differently with me. I guess from now on, I'll just act like Battousai with you." Aoshi winced. He hated that name, hated that persona and everything it stood for. As he looked into Kenshin's eyes, he could see the raw hurt still sitting there, looking back at him accusingly. Aoshi bent his head. Kenshin had every right to be angry. All he'd wanted was for his cousin to stand by him in his moment of need; he really didn't want anything else.

Aoshi sighed. "I was desperate. I'm sorry."

Kenshin looked away. Aoshi glanced at him, "Look Kenshin, I'm still in the same situation I was two days ago. Hiko wants Kaoru dead, and I don't want to kill her. But, if I go and tell him where she is, he will have to accept that killing her is not an option." He took a deep breath. "You brought her to the safest place in Yantai. Nothing can harm her here."

Kenshin glanced at the Dowager Empress, who nodded slowly. He did not reply.

"So what do you say?" Aoshi asked.

"I would be willing to go along with what you just said but the only trouble is that now, I don't trust you where Kaoru is concerned." Kenshin replied in acidic tones.

Aoshi's eyes grew wide with indignation. "You don't trust me where Kaoru is concerned? Oh that is just rich…especially coming from the man who's sexually obsessed with her."

"Says the man who wants to kill her."

"Boys! Stop arguing at once. This is disgraceful. And I think that the two of you have forgotten that you are standing in my home, not in a barracks." The Dowager Empress tried to maintain some standard of decorum amongst flaring tempers.

Aoshi looked away in disgust. Kenshin followed suit. The Dowager Empress shook her head. "This won't do at all boys. Fighting amongst each other doesn't answer to the problem. First of all, let's accept that we are all trying to help Kaoru. There will be no accusations claiming the opposite. Now, I know it's hard for both of you to let go of your pride but you will try. I want you both to bury the hatchet and think about what we can do to pacify Hiko."

She looked deliberately at Kenshin, who shrugged and mumbled his acceptance of Aoshi's plan even though he had his reservations. Aoshi nodded and stood. "I need to report what I've found to Hiko."

The Dowager Empress nodded. "Aoshi is right Kenshin. It's time to lay our cards on the table. We can't keep running from Hiko. We need to alleviate his anger. Kaoru has no other option than to appear before him at Court. She needs his approval, before she can even think of doing something for her people; she will need to convince Hiko to let her stay at court."

Kenshin nodded. He glanced at Aoshi, who stood awkwardly at the door. Aoshi looked at him briefly and looked away again. As he stepped out of the room, Aoshi knew that everything would gradually slip back into its groove. Kenshin couldn't stay angry with him for very long. He allowed a smile to break out upon his features.

oOoOoOo

Three quarters of an hour later, Aoshi stood before Hiko. The Emperor showed signs of being in a rough temper, as the perpetual smirk on his face was replaced with a sardonic frown. He sat quiet and intimidating, not uttering a single word as Aoshi was shown in, quite unlike the usual way he received his "idiotic nephews". There was no barb, no annoying nickname, and no appeals to the dragon lords to deliver him from having to tolerate their stupidity, nothing.

Aoshi took a deep breath. "I've found her."

Hiko snorted. "About time." His frown suddenly grew deeper. "Found her? You mean you haven't finished your job yet?"

Aoshi inclined his head. "There's a slight problem."

Hiko narrowed his eyes. "What problem?"

"I think you should reconsider what needs to be done about her."

"What the devil are you talking about?" Hiko bellowed. Aoshi cringed inwardly.

"When I said Kenshin was in love with her, I meant it, and now it seems that he means it too."

"Just get to the point."

"She is staying at the Dowager Empress's palace, as her special guest." Aoshi wasn't a vindictive person but the expression on Hiko's face after hearing his words more than made up for all the grief he'd been put through in the past two days. The corners of his mouth lifted as Hiko sat back in his throne, stumped for a reply for the first time in all his life.

oOoOoOo

**Author's Note**

Yes, I know this chapter was due long time back, but hey, time is a precious commodity. Hope you all like this. Let me know what you think.

Read and review!


	24. The Seekers

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any shape, size, or form.

**Rating**: T

Thank you all for reviewing.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 24: The Seekers**

* * *

Soujirou bit his lip in concentration. He held a dagger poised over his left arm. Carefully, he slid the blade under his sleeve and began to cut the cloth away slowly. His face was flooded with the orange light of a fire. Bunches of meticulously tied dry twigs and reeds lay at his feet and Okita stared at him with concern from across the fire.

"Soujirou, let me help." Okita stood and stepped around the fire. He knelt next to Soujirou and grasped the dagger from his hand. Holding the cloth taut, he began to scissor the dagger through till he had cut it all the way till the shoulder. Twisting his wrist, he cut away the sleeve entirely, leaving Soujirou's arm bare. His sleeve had stuck to a cut on his arm as Okita and he had escaped Xinchen's capital city. There had been no time to tie it properly and now the cloth stuck to the raw flesh and refused to lift away.

Soujirou glanced gratefully at his comrade and smiled bravely. He turned his attention back to his arm. He took a deep breath and gripped the piece of cloth still stuck to his arm tightly. Digging his teeth into his lips, he peeled the cloth away from his skin. The delicate net of clotted blood that had begun to heal his arm came away with it. Soujirou hissed softly. He suppressed a shudder and continued to peel the remaining few inches of the cloth off his arm. Gasping in pain and relief, he let the bloodied piece of cloth fall to the ground and sat back against a boulder.

Okita held an oilskin bottle of water to him and nodded encouragingly. Soujirou smiled and took the bottle. Okita stepped back to his position near the fire.

The two warriors had ridden the whole night, without pause. Their sole focus had been to cross the border back into Konan and bid adieu to Xinchen for good. They hadn't had time for hunger or weariness. The stars wheeled around in the firmament as night turned to day and the moon surrendered to the sun. Dawn broke as they sneaked past the Xinchen border patrols and rode into western Konan. They had decided to rest for a while before continuing to ride to the ruins of Kansan, where they hoped to find information on Kaoru, Kamatari and Saitou. The hours seemed to race past as they stopped at every village between the border and the capital, trying to find any clue, any piece of information that might help them find Kaoru. Now, as dusk turned to darkness, they were still no closer to any news of their friends.

The cave overlooked the road travelling from the south of Konan to Kansan. This road would then re-emerge from the northern gates of Kansan, leading straight to Kutou. Soujirou feared that this was the road they would ultimately have to follow to find Kaoru, if they failed to find her with Katsu – he prayed that it was not so, that this feeling was wrong.

He glanced over at Okita, who had recovered from his injuries and also regained some of the ferocity that had made him so dangerous in battle. The despair that had almost eaten him inside out in Xinchen had disappeared from his face. A new hope could be seen in his eyes. He wanted to waste no more time in finding Kaoru. He wore the look of a man who had walked through fire and survived to tell the tale. In some ways it was true, he had forced back the hand of death in Xinchen. He was no longer scared of death.

Soujirou remained silent as he watched Okita efficiently stoke the fire. He had skewered a pair of rabbits on two long sticks and expertly turned them this way and that, ensuring that all sides of the flesh gained heat and cooked uniformly. He suddenly looked up to find Soujirou staring at him pensively. He stilled.

"What's wrong Soujirou?" He asked.

Soujirou raised his eyebrows. He shook his head slowly. "Nothing is wrong. Why?"

Okita shrugged. "You were staring. I just wondered what was going on."

Soujirou let his eyes drop to the road below. "I was thinking that if…I am just speculating…but if, for some reason, we do not find Kaoru with Katsu…we might have to go as far as Kutou to look for her."

Okita stared into the fire with cold eyes. "If we must go to Kutou to find her, then we will. It doesn't matter where she is, I just want her back." That's all he wanted from life now. Yes, they still had to fulfil their duties to their people, they were honour bound to fight against Hiko Seijurou's rule and occupation of Konan but all these things came secondary to Kaoru. Right now, the only thing driving him to wake in the morning was the hope of having Kaoru back in his arms. He wanted so desperately to see her again, to hear her voice, listen to her laughter, touch the silken smooth softness of her skin, to curl his fingers in her hair and never, ever let her go.

He turned and picked up a piece of firewood from the small pile of wood sitting beside him. Leaning forward, he set it against a glowing log in the fire. The rabbits were done. Okita quickly removed them from the fire and stood. He took two steps away from the fire towards Soujirou and set them in front of him.

Soujirou nibbled upon the meat thoughtfully. At this pace, they were due to reach the hideout of the Bandits soon. But that thought did little to cheer him up. They had been hearing rumours all the way from Xinchen. The bandits had divided into two camps – those that kept to the code of honour of warriors and those that didn't. They had nothing to bargain with for information – they were simply hoping for help from the bandits due to their common enmity and opposition to Hiko Seijurou XIII and hoping that they fell in with the right sort.

The crackling of a dry twig alerted both of them to another's presence in the wood. Soujirou and Okita both snapped their heads back at the sound. Okita furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Soujirou, who stood wordlessly, his injury and pain forgotten instantly. He gripped the hilt of his sword and took a step forward, towards the dense overgrowth of trees and bushes that framed their resting spot. As he moved closer, the sounds of someone moving about in the wood grew louder. There was the rustle of leaves as a branch seemed to have been pushed aside to make room to walk. More twigs cracked under a foot, followed by a string of curses. Okita glanced at Soujirou, who gave a wry smile. Whoever it was wasn't making any effort to conceal their presence.

Soujirou watched warily as the bushes directly in front of him trembled. He felt his eyebrows shoot up as a hand appeared, pushed back a tumble of vines, and followed by a small body that seemed to fly out of the trees.

"Argh…finally! I thought I'd never get out of there alive. Can you believe it? I've been walking round and round in circles for the past two days! Everything looks the same. How the hell is anybody supposed to get anywhere in this freakish forest?"

Soujirou gaped wide-eyed at the girl. She wore the strangest clothes he'd ever seen on a girl. As he looked closer, he could make out that they were a boy's gi and some kind of shorts that were frayed a few inches above the knee. Her big green eyes grew wider at the sight of the fire and she promptly sat down in front of it without so much as a by-your-leave and jabbered on about the hardships she'd endured even as she faced down Okita's relentless glaring. Her head bobbed as she spoke and her long braid twirled in time with her head. Soujirou let his hand slip away from the hilt of his sword and slowly sat down on a rock, watching spellbound as the girl continued her monologue without pause. He blinked. He had never seen anybody talk so much. Anybody.

"….in fact I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't managed to find a way out today, you would've stumbled upon my corpse or something. How morbid though. I wonder if a stranger would have buried me. I sure hope so, because I would bury them, even if I didn't know them. That's just the humane thing to do. What do you think?" At this, she paused and addressed Soujirou directly. Soujirou was taken aback a little. Finally he managed a weak smile which seemed to satisfy her.

"There you go. That's what I thought too. And why not? We've all been put in this world for a purpose and that's to look out for each other, I think…."

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing, barging in on us like this?" Okita's dry voice cut her rambling speech short. The girl frowned, as though she'd been offended. She lifted her chin haughtily.

"My name is Makimachi Misao. And excuse me for barging in on you," she retorted, "but as I've just mentioned ten times before already, I was lost! I didn't know where I was going. I saw the light from your fire and thought maybe I'd find help here, that's all. And it's not like I was following you or something." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at Okita who watched her skeptically.

Soujirou swallowed. His mouth felt so dry. He could hardly speak but he had to try, "Well, it's very fortunate you found us….erm…there's wild animals in this forest too."

Misao gaped at him with eyes as wide as saucers. "You're kidding me."

Soujirou shook his head slightly and felt his lips curl up into a smile almost effortlessly. "No, it's true. It's very dangerous to be out here alone. What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"And who are you exactly?" Okita asked waspishly. He wasn't the slightest bit convinced about who she said she was. In fact, she'd been here ten minutes already, had babbled non stop yet nowhere in all that nonsense she mouthed had she mentioned anything concrete about herself, just that she was lost. Then there was the fact that she spoke with an unmistakable Kutou accent. She was from enemy country; now he just had to find out what she was after.

Soujirou glanced at Okita and subtly gestured for him to calm down. When information was hard to come by, people like this girl were invaluable, precisely because they refused to be quiet. If she had been wandering around in the forest, chances were she knew something about the bandits. Any news was welcome news for them at this stage. There was nothing to be gained by antagonising her before they knew everything she could tell them.

Misao glared back at him. "I told you already. I'm Makimachi Misao."

Okita rolled his eyes. "Oh that tells us so much."

Misao quickly leapt to her feet. "What is your problem? The least you could do is offer me a drink and a place to rest for the night. I'm all alone and I need help and if there was some other place I could go to I would have believe me! The last thing I want is to be here. I just want to go home, okay! But I can't reach Yantai in just one night of forest-walking so here I am. I'm sorry for bursting in upon you like this, but I have nowhere else to go." The brave face she'd been keeping for so long finally threatened to shatter as her voice shook. Soujirou glanced from her to Okita. He quickly stood. The girl looked like she was barely managing to keep her tears at bay. It was time to intervene.

He gently patted her shoulder. "It's alright Miss. You don't need to worry. You can certainly stay here for the night. Here," he took her hand and settled her down comfortably in front of the fire and handed her one of the rabbits, "please feel welcome."

He smiled amiably at her. Misao smiled back weakly after a while. Her eyes were still wet but her smile was genuine. She gratefully took the rabbit and quietly sat down. Soujirou stepped back to Okita, and took him aside.

Okita hissed. "What are you doing?"

Soujirou glanced at her. "Calm down Okita. Can't you see she's lost and confused…and probably scared to death?"

"Hardly. We don't know anything about her. How can you just let her join our camp like this?"

Soujirou laughed softly. "She's completely harmless. She needs help Okita. We can't turn a woman away in the middle of the night in a forest like this. You know that, she might get hurt."

Okita rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you've fallen for that 'I'm lost' act."

Soujirou sighed. "What do we have to lose by helping her?"

"Time. The one thing we don't have, and the one thing she is more than capable of wasting." Okita turned away. "You should never have let her stay. She might be a Kutou spy for all we know."

Soujirou stared at his feet. Okita glanced at him and felt a twinge of guilt. It was not in Soujirou's nature to turn away anyone who needed help but they had to be cautious. "Soujirou, look I'm sorry. But we have to be careful who we trust. The Kutou army is still in Kansan. They probably have a prize on our heads. She might just be one of these adventurers, out to get us for the money."

"I know that. But Okita…just think of it this way, Kaoru must've been alone like this too. Maybe Katsu got to her quickly, but if he didn't….she must've been so scared. All alone, not knowing where to go or what to do. She wouldn't even know how to feed herself – she's had no training for this. What would have happened to her then?"

Okita was quiet. Soujirou shrugged. "I can't turn her away, without thinking about Kaoru. And you're right, she might be a spy but turning her away just on that small chance….that's not who we are Okita. That can't be what we are going to be."

Okita turned to look at the small girl warming her hands at the fire. She wrapped her hands around her body, as though she was trying to shrink inside. He noticed the scratches and bruises on her arms and legs, and dark circles under her eyes. She had evidently seen hard times. He sighed. There was no way they could tell her to leave. She was a mess.

"Alright. She can stay. But once we're out of the forest, she has to go."

Soujirou grinned. "Absolutely." He turned to the fire and quietly went and sat down with her. Okita frowned. Soujirou could be too trusting really. But he would watch out for the both of them. Okita kept the scowl on his face as he also sat down by the fire. He watched as Soujirou effortlessly drew the girl into conversation. Of course, she really didn't need anyone's help to open up and start talking. She talked as though her life depended upon it.

"I'm really grateful to you for letting me stay. This forest is terrible. I really mean it when I said I would have died. And it would have been terrible to die here, where nobody knows who I am. If I have to die, I want to die in Yantai."

"So you're from Yantai?"

Misao nodded vigorously. Her full mouth made it difficult to talk so she chewed as fast as she could and swallowed down the rabbit meat, "I came to Kansan about two weeks ago…before the fighting started."

Soujirou raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why did you stay so long? Didn't you want to go back to Kutou?"

Misao looked down. "Of course I did, Kutou is my home but I…couldn't. I was banished from Yantai…if I return; they'll probably throw me into prison or execute me." She rubbed her elbow absently, staring into the fire with sad eyes. "It's not easy being shut out of your own home…you know?" She blinked and looked up. Soujirou's smile became tight, like it was painful for him to keep the corners of his mouth turned up.

She bit her lip. "What am I talking about? Of course you know, probably better than me."

Soujirou raised his eyebrows in undisguised curiosity. Misao shrugged, "I recognise you…both of you actually." She looked nervously from Soujirou to Okita. "I saw you both at the feast…for your engagement to the princess."

Okita froze. Soujirou looked at him cautiously, as his fists clenched tightly. Okita glared at Misao, angry at her for bringing up what was the happiest and also the most painful memory of his life. The night of the engagement – he had everything that night and he had lost it all merely two days later.

Misao swallowed. She flicked the end of her braid back over her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"What else do you remember from that night? Tell me everything." Okita spoke gravely, earning surprised looks from both Soujirou and Misao.

She glanced at Soujirou, who nodded in encouragement. She jutted her lower lip out thoughtfully, "Well, there was a feast for everyone in Kansan. I was seated just two tables away from the dais. You were standing beside the princess. She was very beautiful, and I remember thinking that she was so different from many other noble ladies I'd seen before, in Kutou. She looked happy. There was this glow on her face…she was really happy. "Misao stopped. She looked at Soujirou, as though she were asking him whether she should continue or not.

"Go on….what else do you remember …about her?" Okita's voice was just a whisper now. The stern expression he'd adopted had fallen away and the softer, real Okita seemed to emerge as Misao recollected her experience.

"You said something to her, and she laughed, like she didn't have a care in the world and you were watching her, and then this lady came and ushered her away. That's all I remember."

Okita didn't stir. He remained seated, staring into the fire. Misao waited uncertainly. Finally, he looked at her and inclined his head, "Thank you. You've given me something precious today. I will not forget it." He stood and walked away, eager to be alone with his thoughts.

Misao watched him go. She turned to Soujirou, "He's not so bad after all."

Soujirou smiled, "He hasn't been himself for some time."

Misao shrugged. "That's natural." She leaned back against the cave wall and watched as Soujirou carefully stoked the fire, and added more twigs to it. "So…what are you doing out here in the woods, anyway?"

Soujirou glanced back at her, "Deciding what to do."

"About what?"

Soujirou decided to take a gamble on her. Curious to know what she'd say, he asked her, "We are looking for someone. She is not at Kansan anymore; we don't know where she might be. So we're looking for clues, anything that might point us in the right direction."

Misao propped her chin on her knee. "Let me guess, you're looking for the princess aren't you?"

Soujirou nodded. Misao chewed upon her lip thoughtfully. She wondered if she should tell him everything she remembered about the night of the feast. She hadn't told them that she had seen the Prince of Kutou sitting amongst the poor in disguise, watching the princess like a proprietary hawk. Perhaps, she should tell them, maybe it might help, but then again it would just worry them. It was better if she just kept that bit of information to herself. What harm could come of it anyway?

"Well, there's a saying where I come from. When something is lost, sooner or later, it shows up in Yantai. You might want to look for her there."

Soujirou thought about it, "But Kaoru would never go to Kutou. Why should she?"

Misao stretched her legs out, "She would if she had no choice."

Soujirou shook his head, "That would only happen if she were caught by our enemy, and that's impossible."

Misao shrugged. Her thoughts raced back to the night of the feast, where she'd seen the prince of Kutou watching the princess with eyes so intense that it seemed as though he were staking a claim to her. She hoped, for the sake of these two men who had shown her compassion, that the Prince had nothing to do with their princess's disappearance. "If you're certain, there's no chance she might be in Kutou then the only option you have left is to ask the bandits…but I have to warn you. They are a difficult lot to track down these days."

Soujirou shuffled a little closer to her, "Have you met the bandits?"

Misao sighed, "What do you think I'm doing here? I was travelling with a band of gypsies, going back towards Kutou. They left me inside Bandit Territory, telling me that the bandits would find me themselves, and I could bargain for safe passage into Kutou without the border patrol finding out."

"So what happened?"

"So I got lost, and still no bandits. But I think we are still inside their territory so I'm hopeful we might meet them soon. You can ask them about your princess. If she's gone to Kutou, they will know."

oOoOoOo

Hiko sat stunned for many long minutes during which Aoshi employed all his training just to keep a straight face. Seeing his uncle rendered speechless for the first time in his life was an amusing yet worrying prospect and Aoshi didn't know whether he should be as shocked as Hiko or enjoying this moment to the hilt.

Suddenly, he frowned, and sat up again, "So you're telling me that all this time, she's been at my mother's palace?"

Aoshi nodded. "Yes."

Hiko sat back. "The devil…." He stroked his chin and suddenly, a strange smile lit up his features. Aoshi frowned slightly. Hiko's smile grew wider. "I must say, I am surprised." He laughed softly. "Well, it seems my bakadeshi has finally learnt to be original."

Aoshi watched him warily. Hiko smirked. "It seems I am finally going to have some fun around here."

Aoshi shook his head uncertainly. "I don't think I understand."

"It's a challenge Aoshi, a challenge. Kenshin wants to play and I think I am more than ready to oblige."

"But…"

"And I think I will begin by paying my mother a visit. This girl is proving to be quite something, first Kenshin, now my mother. What is so special about her…that they just won't let me kill her and be over with it?"

oOoOoOo

**Author's Note**

A little abrupt wasn't it? I know. I'm expecting some heavy critique for this chapter, it's a little rushed. But, please be kind to poor little me.

I have a big entrance examination thing coming up next month and time will be tight so I'm trying to get as many updates out now. Hopefully, everything works out fine. Please review!

Thank you!

**Next Chapter:**

Hiko shows up at the Dowager Empress's palace, all thunder and lightning and is stung when she refuses to bring Kaoru forward.

"I demand to see her."

"You can demand all you want; it does not make the slightest difference to me. This is my home, Hiko and my rules apply here."

"Mother, be reasonable." He snapped irritably.

"Hiko, you are long past the age when showing up at a young lady's residence and demanding to see her could be considered even slightly charming."


	25. The Imperial Visit

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any form.

**Rating**: T

Thanks everyone who reviewed!

The past week has been really hectic..why? Because...I have developed a severely unhealthy obsession for DeiSaku fics. Seriously, that is all I can think about. every waking minute that I can spare from looking after my daughter, I'm glued to my phone reading the same four DeiSaku fics over and over again. Hats off Cynchick, Wyntermute, Fallacy and TK Grimm for writing such amazing stories with my (current) fave Naruto characters. That's part of the reason I haven't updated that fast because, uh, well I noticed that i was writing Deidara in the guise of Kenshin...BAD BAD IDEA. So a couple of revisions and a lot of omissions later, I finally have this update.

Thanks for the love and patience guys. Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 2****5: The Imperial Visit**

* * *

**Recap**

Hiko sat stunned for many long minutes during which Aoshi employed all his training just to keep a straight face. Seeing his uncle rendered speechless for the first time in his life was an amusing yet worrying prospect and Aoshi didn't know whether he should be as shocked as Hiko or enjoying this moment to the hilt.

Suddenly, he frowned, and sat up again, "So you're telling me that all this time, she's been at my mother's palace?"

Aoshi nodded. "Yes."

Hiko sat back. "The devil…." He stroked his chin and suddenly, a strange smile lit up his features. Aoshi frowned slightly. Hiko's smile grew wider. "I must say, I am surprised." He laughed softly. "Well, it seems my bakadeshi has finally learnt to be original."

Aoshi watched him warily. Hiko smirked. "It seems I am finally going to have some fun around here."

Aoshi shook his head uncertainly. "I don't think I understand."

"It's a challenge Aoshi. Kenshin wants to play and I think I am more than ready to oblige."

"But…"

"And I think I will begin by paying my mother a visit. This girl is proving to be quite something, first Kenshin, now my mother. What is so special about her…that they just won't let me kill her and be over with it?"

**End of Recap**

There was a creak as the door to Hiko's council room opened and Kenshin quietly walked in. He approached the throne, and glanced momentarily at Aoshi. Kneeling, he removed his sword from his hip in a fluid motion and held it up, offering the blade to Hiko in a show of fealty. Kenshin kept his eyes on the floor.

Something flickered in Hiko's eyes and despite the irritation and anger he felt towards his apprentice, his lips curved into a small, mocking smile. "Enough. Come now, stand up."

Aoshi shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He wondered what would happen now. He had not expected to see Kenshin here now. He had thought that his cousin would wait till Hiko's annoyance had subsided before appearing before him. Kenshin apparently was feeling more confident with whatever argument he had cooked up to face Hiko so soon after neutralizing his plans for Kaoru.

Hiko inclined his head and watched Kenshin curiously. "Tell me; what is the purpose of offering me your sword when you have absolutely no intention of doing what I say, eh?"

Kenshin stood. His expression was grave and he didn't retort thoughtlessly as he would have usually. Hiko frowned. Kenshin seemed calm and completely in control.

"I don't understand what you mean."

Hiko frowned. "Don't try to act cute with me Kenshin. You know what I'm talking about."

Kenshin shrugged, an expression of baffled innocence plastered on his face. "No Shishou, I really don't know what you're talking about."

Hiko frowned. "Are you _trying_ to get on my nerves? Because you're already there halfway." He pulled his ever-present sake jar to his lips and took a drink. "Why did you bring her back?"

Kenshin stared at the floor. He lifted his gaze to meet his master's and smiled mischievously, "I thought you wanted to be surprised."

Hiko grunted and shook his head. "Why do I bother?" He muttered.

Kenshin bent his head, the mirth disappeared from his face and he seemed grave. Dragging his lip under his teeth, he tried to be straightforward with his master. "I have never met anyone like her before. She confuses me."

"Are we talking about feelings now? Dear gods….rescue me." Hiko rolled his eyes and swigged another mouthful of sake from the jug. Kenshin watched him wordlessly. He looked away but not before Aoshi saw the flash of hurt that crossed his features. Aoshi pursed his lips and shook his head slightly – what was new about this? Hiko had always been emotionally distant. Kenshin had learnt to live with that.

Kenshin fidgeted, staring at the ceiling then straightened as he though he was resigned to face anything that followed.

"Forgive me Shishou, but I can't let you kill her."

Hiko leaned back. Kenshin's eyes seemed to gleam softly. He could never get over how Kenshin had inherited Antal's eyes. His perusal of his apprentice's face left him intrigued and curious. The determination so often seen in Kenshin's eyes was now tempered with a nameless emotion that had eluded him for so long that it was scarcely seemed possible. There was no mistaking it; his bakadeshi was indeed, in love. Hiko smirked. "How do you intend to stop me?"

"I already have."

Hiko propped his elbow on the arm of his throne. "How so?"

Kenshin shrugged. "I don't see how even you could manage to send somebody to kill her while she's at Grandma's palace."

Hiko smirked. "It is a small matter to remove her from there. And once she's no longer in her protection, bakadeshi….she dies."

Kenshin was silent. He knew this. He had known all along. "Shishou…why are you so adamant about this? She's just a girl, she's no threat to you, and she's just trying to put her life back together and…."

"She's not a threat today…but in a year she will be." Hiko looked at him with stony eyes. "Don't you understand? She doesn't even need to do anything. She's a symbol; a reminder of a life once lived, loved and left behind. Just the fact that she is alive will give her people a chance to regroup, to organise themselves, to start planning rebellion. She gives them hope." He shook his head. "And we can't have that, can we?" He snorted. "If we keep this up, half this empire is going to be submerged in rebellion and mutiny, is that what you want?"

Hiko stood. His large cloak billowed like a cloud behind him. His metal armguards glinted in the light of the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. He climbed down the steps from his throne and stood before Kenshin, towering over him like a statue, the sake jar in his hand seemed like an extension of his arm. "It has taken most of my life to raise this empire, to unite dozens of small fiefdoms into a single unit; do you think I do this to satisfy merely my ambition? No. I do it because it needs to be done and because nobody else has the strength to do it. We shoulder the burden nobody else can take. People cannot build a life in a land that is plagued by war and strife. Constant war and turmoil eats away at the soul of a land, leaving it hollow. The children born of such lands are sad, broken and weak. This empire was founded with the desire to have peace across every land united under our banner. And we have accomplished that with the invasion of Konan. There will be no more bloodshed, no more fighting. You know all this, then why do you endanger our vision just for a girl you met some weeks ago?"

"Because no matter how I look at it, I can see no justification for killing her." He turned. "Even if I set my feelings for her aside, I can't convince myself that it's the right thing to do. We are not talking about killing on a battlefield – that's different. This…is no less than murder…and there's no reason I can give myself that will make it seem right." With that, he bowed once more and turned to leave the room.

Hiko watched him leave with a smirk on his lips. His eyes gleamed and he gave a small laugh. Aoshi glanced at him. "You're laughing?"

Hiko shook his head. "Young love….isn't it amusing?" He set the sake jar down on a table and strode briskly towards the door. "Dismissed."

Aoshi bent at the knee and bowed his head. When he stood straight again, the throne room was empty. Hiko was gone.

oOoOoOo

Kaoru drew a long breath. The Dowager Empress looked at her from above the rim of her cup. She set the cup down and glanced at one of her ladies, raising an eyebrow subtly. Something had been off with the young girl since yesterday. She was unusually subdued and quiet, and had taken to staring off into space for minutes before she realised she what she was doing. It was strange to see her so silent.

The Dowager Empress beckoned one of her ladies, "How long has she been like this?"

The lady glanced at Kaoru before replying, "Since yesterday…since the prince left. She hasn't been herself since."

The Dowager Empress didn't miss the pointed smile that accompanied the information. She nodded slowly. "I see." She wasn't surprised. She had expected this to happen, sooner or later. There was a spark between the two of them that was obvious to see. She had observed how the air between them seemed to crackle and almost snap with all the things they left unsaid. Their eyes would inevitably find each other and look away. She smiled. They thought nobody noticed if they said nothing, but silence is often more eloquent than words.

Kaoru was in the strange predicament of not knowing her own mind right now. She had seen the turmoil in her eyes yesterday as she practically ran to her room. It couldn't be easy, she mused, to discover that the man you had happily thought of as an enemy was also giving you sleepless nights for all the wrong reasons. She watched as Kaoru turned her handkerchief round and round in her hands as she stared out of the window. There were faint shadows under her eyes and her colour was pale. The Dowager Empress stood and slowly approached her. Placing a hand gently upon her shoulder, she shook Kaoru out of her thoughts.

"What happened Kaoru? You seem so lost."

Kaoru blanched. "Uh…well….it's nothing. I was thinking…about something."

The Dowager Empress smiled. "What were you thinking about?"

_Your grandson._ Kaoru blinked. _Where did that come from?_ She shook her head. "I was just thinking that….I've been here for days and I have yet to go see the refugees. I haven't done anything so far and I was wondering…how soon I could go see them." Her shoulders slumped.

The Dowager Empress laughed softly. "Well, don't blame yourself on that account. You can't go anywhere in Yantai without Hiko's permission. You'll simply have to wait till he approves of you and invites you to court. Then, you may go anywhere you please."

Kaoru turned to her. "Yes but, when will that happen? It's taking so long…I mean, I feel so useless just sitting here….doing nothing."

"All in good time. Use this time to recuperate and…gather your strength, because you will need it when you are in court."

Kaoru blinked. The Dowager Empress seemed sad for some reason. She leaned forward and took her hand. "Is something the matter?"

"Hmm." The Dowager Empress sighed. "I worry about you Kaoru. You wear your emotions on your sleeves. I worry about how you will fit in….a part of me wants to show you how to wear a mask that hides the real you….and then, a part of me wants you to remain this way forever….without artifice, without any tricks….because it is a rare thing…and very beautiful."

Kaoru smiled and laughed nervously. "Don't worry so much. I'm not that gullible. And I am perfectly capable of being diplomatic for my self-preservation just as well as anybody else."

The Dowager Empress nodded. She glanced at her ladies-in-waiting and thinking of something dismissed them. Kaoru looked at her quizzically. The Dowager Empress looked at her fondly. "Kaoru, I understand that while there are other people present, it may seem strange for you to do so, but in private, I will like it if you call me Grandma as well. Do you think you can do this...for me?"

Kaoru felt her chest tighten. Her eyes grew moist. She couldn't help the grin forming on her lips and she impulsively threw her arms around the Dowager Empress. "Of course I will, Grandma. You don't know what that means to me."

Kaoru bit her lip. It wasn't as though she had wanted for love while growing up. Far from it. Her father, Kamatari, Houji and Tae had poured unlimited love and affection on her but sometimes, just sometimes she would miss her mother. Especially now…she couldn't begin to explain the maelstrom of feelings she didn't even know existed inside her. She was so confused and angry and maybe just a little bit scared of the things she was feeling.

It had taken all of her self-control and discipline to keep a straight face when she had last seen Kenshin. She didn't why but all she had wanted to do was smile till her cheeks hurt. She had wanted to throw her arms around him, feel him, and touch him…if only to check if he was real, if he was really standing there in front of her. What they had been through during the journey to Kutou had shaken her and forced a transition in her perception of her rescuer. He had protected her, rescued her, tolerated her violent verbal assault on him, he had understood. He didn't blame her for screaming at him but she accepted it could not have been easy for a man like him. He had acted with patience and understanding, something she would never have expected from him in a million years. He could have been a lot, lot worse but he was surprisingly decent. He had found a way to keep her safe and hidden away in a city full of enemies – for what? Why would he do so much for her…maybe he felt something strongly for her…and she…..what did she feel for him?

She didn't know yet and perhaps she didn't want to know. Not just yet. This…understanding they had was still so fragile, so delicate that she was scared of upsetting its balance. She knew that her body shivered pleasantly when he came stood near her but that didn't mean anything did it? That was just the body's natural reaction to…oh who was she trying to fool! It was becoming painfully obvious to anyone who bothered to look. She was falling for him…and it terrified her. If her mother were here, she would know what to say to her? If her mother were here, she would know what to do….

And the Dowager Empress had welcomed her into her life with open arms. She had missed this form of love for such a painfully long time that now that she had it, she cherished it but was also a little scared. If Hiko Seijurou did not allow her to remain at Yantai, she would lose it again….and while she could have stayed that way before she had known the Dowager Empress, now it would be too difficult.

She glanced at the Dowager Empress and wondered if she should confide in her. But what would she say? I think I'm developing feelings for your grandson but I think I'll just sit on them right now? Oh I definitely want to know what's going on inside his head but I don't him assuming anything in return? She rolled her eyes inwardly. This was not the time to be getting infatuated with the man. She was spoken for. She wasn't even supposed to be having these thoughts. She was not supposed to be thinking of Kenshin as attractive. She was supposed to just think about her refugees and forget everything else. It really didn't matter if she spent almost every waking hour dissecting every action and word exchanged with Kenshin, about Kenshin – it really didn't matter.

Engrossed in her own thoughts, Kaoru didn't notice the servant who all but raced towards the Dowager Empress and feverishly whispered something in her ear. She straightened immediately and stared at the lady for a few minutes before nodding her head sagely. "Tell our son, we will see him shortly."

Kaoru whipped her head around so fast, she was sure the intricate knot on her head was about to fall off. She casually patted her hair, satisfying herself that it would last several hours at least, even if she decided to break into a run. The Emperor was here!

Was this it? Would he decide what to do about her right now? Was she finally going to meet him? After all she'd heard about him, she was very curious about him.

"Kaoru." The Dowager Empress looked at her urgently. "I need you to go to your room and stay there."

Kaoru blinked. "To my room?"

The Dowager Empress nodded. "Yes." She noticed the disappointment on Kaoru's face and smiled. "You need not be so anxious. Meeting Hiko is inevitable. But, right now, you're not ready to see him. Trust me on this, right now, it is best if you go to your room and stay there." Kaoru dropped her gaze to the floor and nodded once before leaving the room.

As soon as she left, the Dowager Empress turned to the door and inclined her head slightly. The attendant standing at the door turned and opened the door with a flourish. "His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Kutou, Hiko Seijurou the Thirteenth."

Hiko strode in with a commanding air. He waited till the last attendant had left the room before approaching his mother and settling down on a chair beside her. He took her hand in his own and patted it gently.

"It's good to see you Mother." His deep voice held a smile as he watched her. The Dowager Empress hid an amused smile as she pulled her hand away and looked back at him. "Indeed?"

"To what do I owe this singular honour?" She leaned back in her chair, a bemused expression settled comfortably on her features. Hiko was not a frequent visitor; the scars of an old quarrel still cast a shadow upon his relationship with his mother. Forgiveness did not come easily to him and he had only recently began to forget the role his mother and father had played in wreaking havoc upon his life; the aftershocks of which still troubled him, nearly twenty five years after the fact.

Hiko stood and went to the window. He cast a crafty eye at the gardens below, but what he was searching for would not be found so easily out in the open. He knew that. He knew his mother was on edge and slightly worried about his visit. She knew why he was here but would never venture to speak of it herself. She wanted him to make the first move.

"You have a stowaway. Where is she?" Hiko asked casually eliciting a smile from his mother.

"I don't quite follow your meaning Hiko. What on earth are you talking about?" The Dowager Empress settled deeper into her chair with a befuddled expression on her face.

Hiko turned. "Come Mother, must you continue this charade when you know it is all over? I know she is here. Aoshi told me, Kenshin has also admitted to it."

"Indeed. Well, what would you have me do then?"

"I want to see her. Right now."

The Dowager Empress allowed a tiny smile to grace her lips. "I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment."

Hiko scowled. "I demand to see her." There was just the slightest trace of irritation in his voice. It was the first time in a decade that someone had refused him something. His wry expression betrayed his helplessness with the situation. This was his mother after all; he couldn't very well throw her into a dungeon. There were laws about this sort of thing. And knowing her, she would make sure he worked for whatever he wanted. Hiko felt his frown dig deeper. He could see this was where Kenshin got his contrariness from; his bakadeshi had always been his mother's favourite. He could easily believe that she had been filling his head up with nonsense while he hadn't been paying attention. Oh well.

The Dowager Empress affected a look of the utmost disdain. "You can demand all you want. It does not make the slightest difference to me. You forget – this is not your palace but my home Hiko. My word is law here."

"Mother, you're shielding a fugitive."

"Please refrain from calling Kaoru a fugitive."

She looked up as Hiko laughed mockingly. "Oh, what should I call her then?"

The Dowager Empress looked at him seriously. "Hiko, I have grown very fond of that girl. And I will be most displeased if something bad happens to her." Something in her expression told Hiko that it would not be prudent to give her any opportunity to become 'most displeased'.

He tossed his hair back imperiously and glared at her. "Mother, be reasonable." He huffed. "I want to see her right away. This little game of yours has gone on for long enough."

"Hiko, you are long past the age when showing up at a young woman's residence and demanding to see her could be considered even slightly charming."

"Dragons above! Mother, I am not trying to be charming. I do not _want_ to be charming. I just want to see why is there so much fuss created over one girl."

"And you will – just as soon as you let me present her at court and agree to let her stay there – at least till the remainder of the season," The Dowager Empress finished glibly. She smiled at Hiko.

Hiko glowered at her. "Why will I allow you to do something like that? I have no intention of letting her live so long."

"Well," The Dowager Empress huffed. "In that case, you'll just have to sentence her without knowing why there is so much fuss about her. Because there is no way I am going to expose a young girl to strange men in my house."

Hiko looked at her in incredulity. "Mother, are you serious? Since when am I a strange man?"

"You are strange to Kaoru. She doesn't know you." She replied without missing a beat.

"This is becoming ridiculous, Mother."

"Yes, I'm sorry it had to come to this, but you've left me no choice."

"What makes you think I care? I can have her killed anywhere, even here." He looked pointedly at her.

The Dowager Empress sat very still but when she spoke finally, her voice felt like ice. "Certainly. If you do not mind your assassins being ripped into ribbons by your apprentice. Do not think even for a minute that Kenshin will sit by meekly and watch you try to have Kaoru killed."

Hiko smirked. "Kenshin will not realize what happened until it is too late."

"Hiko, do not make the mistake of underestimating Kenshin. He is no longer the frightened little boy you rescued from Shimabara. He is a man now, a man who knows his own mind, a man _you_ turned into the greatest swordsman of this realm. If nothing else, trust your teaching. He will stop at nothing to protect Kaoru and you would be wise to consider that before you make a mistake."

Hiko turned to the window and scowled. He shook his head in disbelief as though he couldn't believe what was happening. Finally, pursing his lips, he glanced at his mother and huffed. "Alright, what do you want?"

She looked at him. "If you are really interested in meeting her then you have to invite her to be presented at court."

Hiko sighed. "I need sake for this."

"What's that, Hiko?"

"I must be going senile." Hiko shot back at her.

The Dowager Empress smiled graciously. "I knew you'd understand. Very well, we accept. We shall present Kaoru to the imperial court in two days time."

oOoOoOo

"Two days?" Kaoru swallowed. "But, don't you think that's a little too soon?" She stood in the middle of the room. A full length mirror with beautiful gilt edges stood in front of her. A lady took her measurements even as another held a kimono piece to her shoulder to judge how it looked. A craftsman sat at the edge of the tight circle of ladies surrounding Kaoru. He rapidly drew sketches of sandals while a jeweller beside him examined each kimono piece set aside carefully and jotted down ideas for jewelled pieces to accompany them. The Dowager Empress wanted to spare no effort in making Kaoru's debut into the imperial court a success.

"Two days will fly past in no time. There is too much to do and too little time to do it in."

She looked up now as Kaoru looked about her with increasing suspicion. The proceedings reminded her unpleasantly of Tae and wardrobe refurbishing, something she had hated then and unfortunately hated still. Seemingly done for now, the craftsmen took their leave of the Empress, followed by the other ladies-in-waiting who were given the task of drafting a guest list for Kaoru's first tea ceremony at court. Kaoru watched them leave with relief. She came and sat beside the Empress and sighed. Then looking around herself thoughtfully, she turned to the Empress.

"Grandma, I…don't mean to be rude but, aren't you going a little overboard? I mean, as things stand right now, I don't have a single coin on me and….all this…." Kaoru trailed off, embarrassed and unsure of how to express her feelings. The concept of not being able to afford something had been alien to her until a fortnight ago. She hadn't forgotten the two days she had wandered alone in the forest, hungry and desperate. She hadn't forgotten the greedy way in which she had asked for second and third helpings at the monastery, taking advantage of the monks' generosity to fill her belly. She hadn't forgotten the fear that struck her heart as she watched a line of people queue up in front of a soup kitchen in Yantai. She might have been there if fate hadn't led her to that fight in the forest. She was beginning to understand the importance of things she had taken for granted for so long.

She felt small and ashamed that she was living her old lifestyle even though she no longer had the right. Why was she living here, with the Dowager Empress? She had no right to her. She was, for all purposes a refugee – so shouldn't she actually be living like that?

The Dowager Empress looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about Kaoru? Do you know what it is like to be the only female in a household full of men? I am just so glad to have somebody I can do these things with. Besides, "She leaned forward and picked up a book with various jewellery designs, "I told you already, you have as much right on me as Kenshin or Aoshi. I consider you as my own."

Kaoru looked down quickly so the Empress wouldn't see the moisture seeping out of her eyes. How could somebody have so much love and affection for someone they had met only days ago? She felt overwhelmed by it.

"And anyway, I think you now have some stake in the Treasury. After all, Konan was invaded." She looked back at Kaoru with a twinkle in her eyes, once more amused at the girl's precocious attempt to contain the preparations.

"Yes, but….Grandma…."

"Kaoru," she replied firmly, "You are a princess, and you will be standing before Hiko as a princess. The eyes of the entire imperial court will be upon you as you make your case for your people. You cannot stand there looking like a waif." She set the book down on a small stool and turned to face Kaoru.

"Now then, we have to get you ready for this."

"I am ready for it." Kaoru quipped. "I know exactly what I'm going to say to him…er…to the emperor I mean."

The Dowager Empress looked amused. "Is that so? Well then, tell me, what are you going to say?" She settled back, watching Kaoru.

Kaoru blinked. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden but brushed it away as she recalled all the arguments she had thought of, things she was going to say to make Hiko Seijurou listen to her.

"Well, first of all, I intend to tell him that his invasion of Konan is illegal and unlawful….."

"First mistake." The Dowager Empress replied dryly.

Kaoru frowned slightly but continued, "_And_ that he is compelled to allow the refugees an equal opportunity to build a comfortable life for themselves…"

"Second mistake."

Kaoru pouted. "Grandma, you're not helping at all."

"My dear child, do you really mean to tell me that you are going to stand before Hiko Seijurou XIII in his court and tell him what he has done is unlawful and wrong?" She raised an eyebrow. "How do you suppose he will respond to that?"

Kaoru slowly shook her head. "Oh…well."

"Yes….oh." The Dowager Empress replied pointedly. "Do you understand what I meant when I said we needed to get ready for this?"

Kaoru bit her lip. "But this is the truth."

The Empress smiled sadly. "Sometimes, it is the need of the hour to dress the truth up in different colors to ensure the safety of many." She folded her palms together.

"Then, what do I do?"

The Dowager Empress smiled. "When arguing your case, remember, thunderous and bombastic proclamations suit a man but they make a woman look ridiculous. Use your strengths to draw him in and make him want to listen to you."

"And how do I do that?"

"Charm. A woman's greatest weapon is charm. You don't have to raise your voice, you don't even have to get angry – all you need to do is to convince Hiko that what you are asking for is less than what he has to spare yet the results of which will be greater than what he has imagined. Let him feel that he is being generous. What do you have to lose?"

"I don't think I can grovel in front of him."

"Kaoru, I am not asking you to grovel. I am merely asking you to be a sweet little girl." Kaoru looked at her with wide eyes. "Yes, that wide-eyed innocent visage – no man has ever been able to resist it. There is no shame in using your beauty to your advantage and why should there be? Your beauty is as much a part of you as your intellect. Don't negate it or patronize it. Use it. A girl as exquisite as you will have no trouble in getting people to listen to you."

"But Grandma, that sounds so….I don't know…." Kaoru shrugged, unconvinced.

The Dowager Empress sighed. "Listen carefully Kaoru. You cannot win against Hiko in a battle of wits. He has the experience of a lifetime spent strategising and manipulating to fall back upon. If you get into an ideological battle with him, he will rip you to shreds without a second thought. You are nowhere near his level, so don't turn this into a suicide mission. Use what you have – your innocence, your idealism, your love for your people, your determination to see them through this difficult stage in their lives. Be open about your feelings. Hiko will appreciate that. He is far more perceptive than anyone gives him credit for. He will not turn you away, I am sure of it."

A/N

Yesss...so...I've been planning a drabble series for Rurouni Kenshin...but I need plot bunnies...yeah? (That's the Deidara hangover) So please please please send me a prompt when you review.

Cheers!


	26. Calling at Court

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any form.

**Rating**: T

Well, I really had to dust off this little story. What's it been – five months? Writer's block is a bitch and add to that an extremely mischievous tornado disguised as a almost-two year old, plus an upcoming exam that may well make or break my dream of teaching Shakespeare to hapless little undergraduates, time has been more precious and scarce than uranium honestly. And yes, I have taken the plunge, writing for a new fandom which also cuts into precious Ruroken time.

Thank you all faithful reviewers! You are the best! May the force with you.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 26: Calling at Court**

* * *

**Recap**

She looked at him. "If you are really interested in meeting her then you have to invite her to be presented at court."

Hiko sighed. "I need sake for this."

"What's that, Hiko?"

"I must be going senile." Hiko shot back at her.

The Dowager Empress smiled graciously. "I knew you'd understand. Very well, we accept. We shall present Kaoru to the imperial court in two days time."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Hoary gusts of wind pulled at the crimson curtains of the palanquin. The Dowager Empress's convoy was on its way to the seat of Kutou's power, to the bastion of its most feared dragon, Hiko Seijurou XIII. Kaoru shivered. She glanced up. Lady Maira was seated opposite her; for once her frivolous tongue had decided to take a sabbatical. Omasu was outside, flitting between the palanquin, the horses at the head of the convoy and the mounted swordsmen that brought up the rear. Kaoru took a ragged breath. This was it. This was the moment she had been hurtling towards ever since she had first laid eyes on Kenshin. This was her true test, as a princess, as a woman, as a citizen of Konan.

She turned her face down and stared at the pleated cotton mat covering the floor of the palanquin. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She could do this. This was what she had been groomed for her entire life. It was time to be a princess, she simply could not fail. Charm, Grandma had said. She had to charm Hiko Seijurou; make him think…no….make him _believe_ that she was harmless. 'Let him think you are a sweet little girl who asks for less than he can spare and the results will be greater than what he has imagined'. Lessons she had once thought useless rescued her from hyperventilating and losing her reason. Once more, she began to make lists and count numbers in her head like Tae had taught her. Standing for hours under the relentless gaze of courtier and subject alike was enough to try the patience of any person, so it was necessary to keep the mind occupied, so that it did not wander from the task at hand.

She took a deep breath. She was going to address Hiko Seijurou XIII in his court, in front of hundreds of people, most of whom would be waiting for her to slip up, make a mistake and be carried off to the dungeons. She sighed. Actually, she really couldn't say what the courtiers would be hoping for. So far, all the people she had met in Kutou had been more than kind to her. She focused upon the pattern of peonies on her kimono. What sort of person would Hiko Seijurou turn out to be? She was aware of his reputation. They didn't call him the Great dragon of the North for nothing. So, he had a temper. How lovely.

Kaoru closed her eyes. She could not doubt herself now. There was no time for the usual self-doubt followed by wallowing in self-pity, finally to culminate in an invigorating declaration of faith in herself at the end of a monologue she'd had with herself every since yesterday. There was no time for any of it. There was only what had to be done. And she'd do it. End of story.

Oh but, why did it have to be so frightening?

X

Aoshi stood behind the silk screen behind the emperor's throne. He watched without a word as courtiers entered the throne room, chattering amongst themselves. Kaoru's audience with the emperor was the first article on today's agenda. She would be announced by her title and then…Aoshi sighed. Silly girl. What had she gotten herself involved in? He cast a glance over the crowd of aristocrats waiting in the throne room. They were wolves. They'd tear her to shreds if she wasn't careful.

He frowned suddenly. Taking a step forward, he pushed the screen slightly aside and nimbly stepped past it to appear behind the throne. He quickly descended the steps and froze. No, he wasn't dreaming and yes, that was Shogou Amakusa speaking to Megumi in a low voice. Aoshi felt his jaw tighten and he stiffly marched towards them.

Shogou glanced up as Aoshi approached and bent his head to whisper something in Megumi's ear. She smiled, spoke to him calmly and watched as he sauntered away. Aoshi pursed his lips and sat down next to her.

"What did he want Megumi? Was he bothering you?"

Megumi stared at him in surprise, as though she didn't understand what he was saying. Judging from the way Aoshi was scowling at Shogou's retreating back, she sighed, "No he wasn't bothering me."

Aoshi shot her a sidelong look. "Are you sure?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am sure." She let out a growl of frustration as Aoshi continued to stare at her inquisitively. "Oh, honestly! He heard about my being summoned to the Dowager Empress, and came to ask me about her."

Aoshi frowned. "And what did you say?"

"What I told anyone who asked. She called me for one of her ladies. That's it." She frowned at Aoshi, not bothering to hide her irritation. "Why are you questioning me like that?"

He stood. "He inspires distrust and unpleasantness. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't troubling you."

Megumi smirked. "How noble of you. I feel flattered." She replied in a gushing, breathy voice. She fixed him with an adoring gaze and fluttered her eyelashes delicately. Aoshi rolled his eyes.

"Must you do that every single time Megumi? It's annoying."

"Is it? Really? And I suppose you marching down here and asking me if I was being troubled by Shogou in broad daylight, in the middle of the throne room is just charming, is it?" Megumi wasted no time in coming back with an icy response.

Aoshi frowned. "Well forgive me for looking out for you. That man is like a snake."

"I am capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much, Aoshi."

Aoshi sighed. "Megumi, I was worried."

"He asked me how his grandmother was; he didn't ask me to bear his children."

Aoshi glared at her. He pursed his lips and swiftly walked back to the screen behind the throne. Megumi shook her head and settled down in her seat once more. Picking up her fan, she snapped it open and began fanning herself, hoping to cool down quickly.

"That's an image I didn't need, Fox." Megumi froze. Her fingers tightened around her delicate fan and she took a deep breath before turning to find Sanosuke seated behind her, smiling at her in amusement.

"Sano…when…I mean…how long have you been here?"

He chuckled. "Long enough."

"Oh." Megumi stared at her hands. Sanosuke glanced around the hall. Say something. She touched his elbow gently. "How are your injuries, Sanosuke?"

"All better. Although, I'm hurt. You never came back to check on me. That was cold."

Megumi looked up for a second and looked away, losing her nerve. Sanosuke smirked. "Why didn't you come back Fox?"

Megumi bit her lip. "You seem to recover better without me to distract you."

"Really?" He leaned closer.

A slow but mischievous smile danced on her lips as she looked back him, unafraid for the first time in months. She looked down but this time, she wasn't escaping his gaze, or avoiding a question, she was revelling in the attention Sanosuke showered upon her since the day he had seen her and for the first time in her life, Megumi realized, everything didn't have to be so hard.

The surprise showed on his face and he leaned back in his seat, a ridiculously happy grin settled on his face. He suddenly leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "So, does this mean, you're tired of running?"

"No. This just means I am acknowledging that you are running after me." She smiled back at him. Sanosuke shook his head.

"You'll be the death of me, Fox."

X

Hitomi leaned against the railing of a suspended aristocratic pavilion. The pavilion looked down upon the throne room. The pavilion was closed on most days but when numbers in the throne room hall exceeded even standing capacity, the suspended pavilion was opened for the higher echelons of the landed nobility.

Hitomi looked around, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the familiar figure of her friend. She leaned forward and called out, "Tomoe! Up here!"

Tomoe stopped and glanced up. She smiled back at Hitomi and turned to her mother, "Mother, I am going to watch from the pavilion. Would you like to join me?"

Lady Yukishiro shook her head and smiled, "No. I will accompany Enishi."

Tomoe shrugged and quickly ascended the curving stairs leading to the pavilion. There were so many people thronging the corridors today. The air felt almost electric. It was to be expected really. The celebrations in lieu of Kenshin's victory in Konan were finally dying down and today he would make his first formal appearance in court after returning from war. It was a big occasion.

"Where have you been?" Hitomi exclaimed as she clasped Tomoe's hand.

"Here. Why?" Tomoe asked softly.

Hitomi glanced around then looked at her friend with something akin to sympathy and grief. She pulled Tomoe closer. "Haven't you heard anything?"

"About what?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Really Tomoe, you are beyond clueless."

Tomoe shrugged. "If I don't know about it, it probably has nothing to do with me. And I can't be bothered with every little thing that goes on here."

Hitomi smirked. "Should you still be concerned with what happens to Prince Kenshin or have you become ancient history?"

Tomoe snapped her eyes back towards Hitomi, now completely alert. "What about Kenshin?"

Hitomi raised an eyebrow. Her lips parted in astonishment. "So, you really don't know what happened?"

"Just tell me Hitomi." Tomoe hissed.

The auburn haired girl smirked and twirled her fan around. "It seems that he brought something back from Konan."

Tomoe's eyes narrowed instinctively. "Something?"

"Someone actually."

Tomoe's blood ran cold for a fraction of a second before she collected herself and asked as nonchalantly as she could, "Someone? Don't talk in riddles Hitomi. Just tell me."

"Last I heard, Prince Kenshin brought a woman back from Konan. And the word is that she is going to be presented to the emperor today. Now, I wonder why…" She trailed off, letting Tomoe draw her own conclusions. Hitomi watched as something akin to horror raced past Tomoe's beautiful features. She stepped back and slowly sat down on a chair.

"No…"

Hitomi plastered a sympathetic smile on her face. "I'm so sorry Tomoe."

"No…"

"But you know, it is one thing to get a prince, and another thing to _keep_ him." She turned towards the doors. There was a sharp sound as the guards tapped their spears loudly onto the marble floor, calling the attention of everyone present in the hall before the herald announced,

"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Kutou, Kenshin Amakusa."

Kenshin strode into the throne room. Everyone bowed; a few dropped to the knee and bowed their heads as he walked past. He ignored the small crowd of nobles who called out to him. Spotting a group of councillors huddled together; he walked over and immediately struck up a conversation with Katsura. He noticed Shogou surrounded by a select coterie of nobles, standing to one side but ignored him.

Tomoe stood abruptly. Hitomi stared at her. "What?"

Tomoe shook her head, "I need to speak to Kenshin. I'm going down."

Hitomi's eyes grew wide and she reached forward and grasped Tomoe's elbow as she turned to leave. Tomoe looked back at her in anger.

"Let go, Hitomi!"

"Have you lost your mind, Tomoe? You can't go down now. The entire court is here. Your mother is here! You don't stand a chance to talk to him." She spoke urgently. Tomoe shook her head.

"No. I have to know. I can't…this is…I can't just sit here and do nothing. I have to go."

"No Tomoe! Listen to me. If you go talk to the prince now, your reputation will be destroyed. Do you hear me? Wait till this is over and then you can go speak to Prince Kenshin. And besides," Hitomi shrugged, "it's just a rumour."

Tomoe seemed to hesitate. Hitomi pulled her back and made her sit on a chair while she leaned against the railing, eyes glued to the proceedings in the hall. But she didn't miss how Tomoe's fingers tightened over her ivory fan, her skin stretched tautly over her knuckles and her face kept a neutral expression even as she was certain, that inside, Tomoe was screaming.

X

The palanquin stopped. Kaoru felt someone shaking her very slightly, as though she would break if they exerted any more force. She winced as a knot of pain exploded in her lower neck muscle. She'd fallen asleep counting. Even now she could imagine numbers jumping across her vision. Kaoru groaned softly and sat straight. In front of her, Lady Maira smiled encouragingly. The curtain was pulled aside and wooden stairs attached to the palanquin. A lady appeared and held her hand out to Kaoru. Kaoru smiled and clasped her hand, steadily climbing down the wooden steps.

Before she could look around, two ladies carrying a large silken banner appeared before and directly behind her.

"This is so nobody sees you." Lady Maira whispered in her ear. Kaoru kept a straight face although the idea of moving about with her own portable veil bearers was amusing. She smiled as she remembered the story about the woman whose gaze could turn one into stone.

The only trouble was, now she couldn't see anything. If things did not go as planned, then Hiko Seijurou would, at the very least dump her inside a dingy dungeon. Coming all this way into Kutou, only to be locked up without even laying eyes upon the famed Kutou imperial palace was plain foolish. She sighed. And frowned. _I did not come here for sight seeing!_

It seemed there was no end to the stairs.

X

There was a commotion in the hall as the giant drums were struck twice, and the herald announced the arrival of….

"Her Imperial Highness, Empress Dowager of Kutou."

Kenshin turned. Everyone inside the throne room bowed as one as the Empress Dowager made her way in. She settled on her seat. Kenshin excused himself from Katsura and approached her.

"Grandma, is Kaoru here yet?" He asked anxiously.

The Empress Dowager smiled reassuringly. "She's here. I will present her when Hiko arrives. Now go. We should not make this anymore suspicious than it absolutely must be." Kenshin inclined his head and returned to his seat beside the throne, to wait for his master to arrive.

Lost in his thoughts, Kenshin was completely unaware of the beautiful, dark eyes that followed his every move and wishfully hoped he would look their way. Tomoe felt every minute turn needles inside her chest. The fear that she may be rejected was tangible for the first time in her life. That Kenshin might not want her, that he may have replaced her, or that he might have never returned the yearning she felt for him….each thought cut her heart and twisted her insides mercilessly. She felt sick, blinded by pain, and anger. Still as a statue, she sat waiting, wondering if the next person to walk in those doors would be the girl Kenshin had brought back from Konan. She dug her nails deep inside her palms. The skin broke and ruby-red beads of blood oozed out of her clenched fists. Tomoe didn't bat an eyelid.

The giant drums at the end of the hall sounded out again. The Emperor had arrived!

The doors sprang apart. Everyone inside the hall stood and dropped to one knee as one, eyes trained carefully on the floor.

"His Imperial Majesty, Lord of Ten Thousand Years, Hiko Seijurou the Thirteenth."

The Emperor strode briskly to the throne and sat without preamble. He glanced around the throne room, taking note that the hall was packed to the cinders. There wasn't a single nobleman who resided in the imperial capital who had not put in an appearance. His lip curled in amusement and he wondered how long it had taken Okina to spread the rumours throughout the noble circles. The sight of such a vast company was enough to silence even the most experienced emissary. He wondered how a sheltered princess with no experience of addressing such exulted company before would manage. He looked at his bakadeshi. Judging from his expression, Kenshin was also thinking along the same lines.

He shot a sidelong glance towards him now. Hiko met his eyes with an amused smirk, raising his eyebrow. Kenshin bit the inside of his cheek, hoping that his face wasn't betraying the trepidation he felt in his heart.

X

The Empress Dowager watched carefully as a small but complicated matter of inheritance was resolved. The throng of aristocracy gathered in the throne was beginning to get restless. She pursed her lips and opened her fan elegantly, watching as heads joined together in restless speculation. She should have known! It was not in Hiko's nature to give in to any demand so easily. She had thought that she had managed to cage him but he had remained one step ahead, as always. By filling his court with each aristocrat that resided in the imperial capital, he had ensured that Kaoru would have to fight not just her fear of him but also face an audience that would be hostile and unresponsive to her plight as soon as they heard her name. She closed her fan with a snap as the herald looked towards her and nodded almost imperceptibly, letting her know that they were ready for her.

She inclined her head. The herald bowed, and stepped forward. He cleared his throat. "Her Imperial Highness, Empress Dowager of Kutou wishes to address His Imperial Highness, Lord of Ten Thousand Years, Hiko Seijurou, Emperor of Kutou." He turned to an upraised dais situated on the left side of the throne room, where the Empress Dowager was seated with her ladies and bent at the waist, keeping his eyes carefully trained on the ground.

Everyone turned towards the Empress Dowager. There was complete silence in the hall. It was so quiet that a pin would be heard falling. The Empress Dowager stood regally. She turned towards the throne of Hiko Seijurou.

"Since its inception, this court has set an example to the whole world for the generosity of its masters. Today, we have come to appeal to this court on behalf of a dear friend. It is said, that difficult times prove to be the measure of a man's character, and this is even more so true for a woman. War and strife bring glory and recognition to a man but for a woman, they become the tempest that strips away a home, a family, friends and a future." She subtly looked around, gauging the reaction of the people listening. She smiled inwardly. Every person in the room was listening to her in rapt attention.

"It is one such person that we have taken into our home, and provided her protection. But nobody can walk through life, running and hiding, therefore….we have decided to present her to you. I hope that you will allow her to speak freely and decide upon her fate accordingly."

She stopped here for a moment and turned her head slightly back. Omasu appeared in the periphery of her vision. The slender ninja nodded and gently pulled a veiled figure beside her, ready to step out into the centre of the room. The Empress Dowager allowed a tiny smile to grace her face. She lifted her chin.

"Your Highness, we present to you, Princess Kaoru Makoto of Konan."

A collective gasp rose from the audience followed by an almost frenzied rush of whispering and nudging. Hiko narrowed his eyes and waited. The Empress Dowager stepped back and turned to Kaoru who was fighting hard to calm the racing of her heart and the trembling of her knees. She managed to lift the corners of her mouth in imitation of a smile. The Empress Dowager clasped her hands and spoke softly into her ear.

"Courage Kaoru…you cannot falter now." Kaoru nodded. "And remember…charm."

Feeling the eyes of each man and woman inside the throne room fixed upon her, Kaoru gracefully stepped down the three small steps from the dais to the hall. She stopped as she reached the centre of the room. Turning till her eyes looked directly upon the emperor, she bowed in a formal curtsey. As she rose to her feet, she gently pulled away the veil that covered her face and looked up, in the direction of the throne. She was aware of the subtle shift in the vibe of the room. The hostility which had been discernible just seconds away had evaporated and been replaced by curiosity due to the exposure of her face.

Kenshin felt a wave of heat wash over his body as he looked at her. He sighed inaudibly. Desire coursed through his veins like fire and for the briefest moment, he forgot to mask his appreciation of her and allowed a lazy, slow smile to stretch across his lips. But, his good humour disappeared when he noticed that he was not alone in appreciating the young girl standing before him. He frowned irritably, as variations of the look on his face began to spring forth across the room. He did not notice the young lady seated up in the suspended pavilion, whose dark eyes grew darker still with thwarted desire and the unmistakable realization that something precious had just slipped through her fingers.

Kaoru fought the instinct to bite her lips as she allowed her gaze to wander over the person of the Emperor. Kaoru blinked. She was certain that she had never seen someone so massive. He seemed unearthly and larger than life. She would not have believed that such a person could exist had she not seen him with her own two eyes. This was the Lightning Emperor, the singular most powerful entity in the world, the man who held the destiny of her people in his hands carelessly. His eyes were dark and a shadow seemed to flood his face as he too, ran his eyes over her, swallowing her appearance like a shark, watchful, wary, and disdainful.

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards as he watched her watching him. Kaoru held her tongue. She hadn't forgotten Grandma's instructions. _Never put your cards on the table first. Wait until you are spoken to. Speaking out of turn implies impatience, and here, in Kutou, only Hiko has the right to be impatient. You time is not more precious than his. So wait until you are spoken to. _She could wait, if only to get her knees to stop shaking.

She stared back at him, careful to cleanse her mind of any negative emotion because it would show on her face and disfigure her argument. She could hear the whispered questions and the statements being flung about in the crowd of people standing behind her. She kept her eyes glued to the emperor, not daring to as much as glance in Kenshin's direction. If she did, she would shatter, and she couldn't break now, not now. She took quick, short breaths, hardly noticeable to anyone.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Kaoru, Hiko tilted his head back and spoke lazily, "Your presence here is a surprise to me. I would have thought you would be dead by now."

Cautiously lifting her chin, she took a deep breath. "So should I, Your Highness. But for the generosity of a good man, I would be."

Hiko smirked. "How does it feel, to live on borrowed time?"

Kenshin leaned back in his chair, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair, fingers bunched into a fist which he pressed against his lips. His eyes glittered as they watched her every move. He clenched his fist at Hiko's question, and his frown dug deeper into his forehead. He did not like where this conversation was going.

Kaoru bit back the smarting retort that sprung to her lips. Instead, she channelled her temper to think. "In Konan, we have a saying – You can't fight fate. Whatever is meant to be mine, will be, whether I want it or not. If I am to die tomorrow, nothing can save me, but if I am meant to live, nothing shall kill me."

"Is that a challenge?"

Kaoru smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkled. "I am not in any position to challenge you, Your Highness."

"Hardly anyone is. But I had thought that Shishio Makoto's daughter would not shy away from a challenge. That is what I had heard of you."

Kaoru froze. He had dredged up her father's memory deliberately to throw her off-balance. It was sly, preying upon her emotional connect to her father and attacking his sense of honour by calling her out. She tightened her grip upon the ivory fan the empress Dowager had pressed into her hand at the last minute.

"My father believed that his life belonged to his people. They had the right to demand it in their protection. I may have lost my kingdom to you, but I have not yet lost my father's teachings."

The Dowager Empress smiled. She had caught a gleam in Hiko's eyes as Kaoru deftly defended the memory of her father without flying into a temper. He was not as unaffected as he would like everyone to believe. _Keep going Kaoru. The ice has cracked. _

Kaoru took a step forward, moving closer to the throne. "My life belongs to my people. It is for them, that I have survived thus far. It is for them, that I stand before you."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What would you ask of me?"

"Only that which you promised, on the eve of Konan's invasion." She looked around the room. They were all listening intently. "A chance to rebuild their lives, whether in Konan or in Kutou, they should be treated as you treat your other citizens."

"What makes you think they are not treated as such already?"

"Because in the aftermath of war, it is sometimes difficult to forget that foes are now subjects."

"Careful Princess, you are dangerously close to calling my commanders unreasonable and insensitive." Hiko chuckled.

"I wouldn't dream of doing that."

"That would be wise." Hiko smirked. "Alright Princess, suppose I acquiesce to your request, what then?"

Kaoru stared back at him in confusion. "I do not understand Your Highness."

Hiko laughed softly. "Your people are now mine, my subjects. They belong to Kutou. Kutou belongs to them. I have no desire to let anyone come between me and my subjects, so what need have I for you?"

Kenshin clenched his fist tighter.

Kaoru blinked once, understanding what he was trying to do. She smiled prettily and bowed her head. "Your Highness, if you consider my people as your subjects truly, then I have no cause for worry anymore."

Kenshin closed the fingers of his left hand tightly over the arm of his chair.

Hiko smirked. "Indeed. And since you have no cause for worry or concern, your purpose is fulfilled, is it not?"

"So it would seem, Your Highness."

"And since your purpose here is fulfilled," he levelled an intense glare at her, "I see no reason to keep you alive."

Silence stretched throughout the hall like molten lava from an eruption. The Empress Dowager stared in surprise and shock, her fan falling to the ground. Her ladies blanched.

Kaoru cautiously wet her lips. She smiled. Bending forward in another formal curtsey, she bent her head elegantly and took a step forward. As she straightened, she looked straight ahead, at Hiko Seijurou and spoke,

"Your Highness, you must show great generosity and justice in looking after my people as your own, and I acknowledge that this is no small thing, and definitely not easy. For this, I could forgive you my murder as well."

Aoshi sucked his breath in. He couldn't believe it! Had she just…given Hiko permission to kill her? He looked around. Everybody seemed shocked. Nobody had quite grasped what had happened just a few seconds ago. A little slip of a girl had pretty much laughed at Hiko's threat of killing her forever. Aoshi smirked. How very interesting.

Kaoru kept her eyes on the ground, seemingly unaware and unconcerned with the avalanche she had let loose inside the throne room. Some looked at her with admiration, other approvingly tossed glances at her; still others simply stared at her, baffled at her audacity.

Hiko sat as still as a statue on the throne. He threw a glance at his heir, who betrayed no emotion on his face, yet Hiko could tell that Kenshin's thoughts were clamouring a mile a minute. He held Kaoru's gaze when she looked up again. He shook his head and laughed softly, perhaps he could see what had Kenshin so enamoured. Laughing louder as he caught the shocked expressions on his courtiers' faces', he shook slightly. Still shaking his head, he wiped his eyes, and looked up,

"You are nothing if not brave, Princess." He narrowed his eyes at her. "It is this easy for me to have you removed from the face of the earth, "he snapped his fingers. "However, I think it will be much more worth my while to keep you alive, at least for now."

Kaoru stared back at him.

Hiko smirked. He turned to the Herald. "Princess Kaoru Makoto is pardoned and free to go where she pleases within the boundaries of the imperial capital." He rose. Everyone dropped to a knee, heads bowed. Kaoru stood still, still shocked over what had happened. As he walked past her, he stopped and glanced at her before striding out of the throne room. Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. It was done. She had passed the dragon's test.

**A/N**

Right ,so I managed to sneak my husband's laptop again. Don't know how soon I'll get the chance again. Please comment. Your reviews are like rain to thirsty ol' me.


	27. When the Moon Wanes

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any form.

**Rating**: T

Hello everybody!

**An****Important****Note**: I will be describing clothing in some detail in this chapter and some of it will not be traditional Japanese. In the manga and the anime, Aoshi wears Western clothes so I have taken the liberty to dress some of my original characters in Western attire as well. My reason is also because I want to show how Kutou is really, really huge and it encompasses numerous cultural influences (You will see to what extent in approximately three chapters more)

So just giving you all a heads up and if someone goes and berates me for historical inaccuracy or whatever in their review I get to say "Ha! I knew it! You didn't read my Author Note" and point my finger for good measure. Yeah. Um. Right. On with It!

Thank you all faithful reviewers! You are the best! May the force with you.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 27: When the Moon Wanes **

**Recap**

"You are nothing if not brave, Princess." He narrowed his eyes at her. "It is this easy for me to have you removed from the face of the earth, "he snapped his fingers. "However, I think it will be much more worth my while to keep you alive, at least for now."

Kaoru stared back at him.

Hiko smirked. He turned to the Herald. "Princess Kaoru Makoto is pardoned and free to go where she pleases within the boundaries of the imperial capital." He rose. Everyone dropped to a knee, heads bowed. Kaoru stood still, still shocked over what had happened. As he walked past her, he stopped and glanced at her before striding out of the throne room. Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. It was done. She had passed the dragon's test.

**End of Recap**

Kaoru stood rooted to her spot. She could hear the blood coursing through her veins, the swirl of her life's blood felt like a pattern of thuds in her ears. She closed her eyes and in her mind's eye, her uncle stood beaming in front of her. 'Well done minx, it was everything I could have asked for, and you managed it without losing your temper even once.' Much as she wanted to stand and revel in Kamatari's presence, he wasn't real, he wasn't really there. She felt the air shift as someone drew near.

She turned to find the Empress Dowager standing before her, beaming. She dropped into a quick formal curtsey. She knew whatever had happened today would not have been possible without her guidance. "Your Highness."

The Empress Dowager smiled. She patted Kaoru's cheek affectionately. "You did well, Kaoru. I am very proud."

"I couldn't have done it without you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would have made a mess of it entirely." She smiled sheepishly. The Empress Dowager smiled and gently began to lead Kaoru away.

Across the room, this interaction between a renegade and defiant King's daughter and the Dowager Empress of Kutou did not go unnoticed by the hawks and lambs that constituted the Imperial court. Words were quickly whispered behind fans and elegant fingers. The reclusive and intensely private Dowager Empress had found a favourite in the enemy princess. Plans and strategies to pull the new girl into their camps began to be formulated.

X

Aoshi appeared at Kenshin's side. "She did very well." He spoke from the side of his mouth, almost making it seem that he hadn't said a word. Behind him, Hannya stood in the shadows, carefully watching as courtiers broke away into groups to talk about what had transpired in the throne room.

Kenshin turned to him. "Better than I was expecting."

"What now? The wolves are going to start closing in as soon as we leave."

"Yes. I am aware of that." Kenshin scowled as he observed Baron Nishi, a renowned rake follow Kaoru with his eyes. The Baron was a charmer and extremely likeable. In fact, he could even be considered a sort of friend. He was part of a tight-knit coterie that surrounded Kenshin when he was in a mood to raise hell and be frivolous. He had been the one to lead a much younger and innocent Kenshin to the pavilions of courtesans and drinking dens for the bored aristocracy. A timely intervention by the Emperor had stopped his excesses but he was no stranger to the seductive spell that the Baron could weave. He could make you believe that the world was a candy land filled with wonders. Wonders that existed solely for the purpose of amusing and fulfilling our every desire. He seduced you into trouble so masterfully that a person would go to ruin yet not regret a single act of depravity.

Kenshin frowned slightly. That was then, however. And he was no longer the wide-eyed boy who blindly followed the Baron to his doom. He had outgrown the spell of debauchery and grown weary of aimless revelry. He now sought the Baron if and when the need arose, and in recent years not at all. But he was not blind. He could see it in the way Nishi looked at Kaoru. He looked as though he was on a hunt. Kenshin slowly let out a breath. Time to put an end to that.

He looked at Aoshi and nodded his head towards the Baron. Aoshi smirked and walked alongside.

"Nishi." The Baron turned. He wore an all-black ensemble, his coat and straight pants were perfectly tailored, his boots shone, and the tastefully tied cravat did justice to his beautifully arrogant face. He had ebony hair that fell in soft, wavy curls to the lobes of his ears. He smiled now. The story goes that the Baron is responsible for at least three separations and one suicide. He has never denied it.

"Your Highness." He smiled. His voice was soft, never louder than a whisper. He bent deep at the waist, never one to forego protocol no matter how deep the friendship.

Kenshin smiled. "You seem preoccupied. Did I interrupt something?"

Nishi laughed softly. Turning to look at Kaoru once more, he cast his eyes back at Kenshin. "Fascinating creature."

"Indeed." Kenshin dragged his lips across his bottom lip.

"Yes. A woman who has the courage to stand before Hiko Seijurou and not tremble. Such a woman is worth ten men. Don't you think so, Your Highness?"

"Yes, I do." The bite in his voice forced the Baron to stop the perusal immediately. He turned to Kenshin, a puzzled frown crumpling his smooth brow.

Kenshin smiled again. "I don't want you bothering her Nishi. She has a serious purpose and obstructing her work in any form would hardly be the gentlemanly thing to do, wouldn't it?"

Nishi blinked but recovered quickly. He chuckled. "You have always had great taste, Your Highness."

"Nishi…" The warning note was hardly subtle any more. The Baron laughed softly.

"How can I refuse you, my liege? Consider it done. She is forgotten." Smiling, he walked away.

Aoshi looked around but Kaoru had left with the Empress Dowager. He nudged Kenshin. "I better leave. Hiko will be expecting me."

"I'll walk with you. I need to see Takasugi anyway." As they broke away from the throne room, another voice joined them.

"Oi bastards! Wait for me!"

Kenshin smirked. "You've been using injury as an excuse for your laziness too long Sano."

Sanosuke glared back at him. "I oughta whup the two of you. Not one visit in the past week. Are you that busy? Or is the prospect of being nice to me on my sick bed too much for you two knuckleheads?"

Kenshin winked at Aoshi. "Why, we didn't want to interrupt. I thought you and Megumi were making fine progress."

"Yeah right." He turned on Kenshin. "Why did nobody tell me about our pretty little stowaway?"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Just trying to keep her alive Sano. Aoshi was hell bent on killing her; I barely managed to get her out of Konan alive."

"Really? Didn't know you were so bloodthirsty, Aoshi."

"Why don't you tell him about the sword Kenshin? I'm sure he'd love to know how you almost scared a girl half out of her wits." Aoshi bit back acerbically.

Sanosuke looked from one to the other. "Right. I have a lot of catching up to do. But, I have to stop at the Infirmary first."

Aoshi smirked. "Sure you do."

Sanosuke glared at him. "Oi, shut it." He slapped Kenshin's shoulder playfully and rushed off. Kenshin and Aoshi exchanged a knowing glance and turned to continue when the sound of a voice made them both stop.

Kenshin turned slowly. His eyes grew wide. "Tomoe…"

Tomoe clutched her fan tightly between her fingers. She willed herself to look straight at him and fought not to let her voice waver. "When were you going to tell me?" Her eyes stung and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would be fighting to keep her tears at bay.

Aoshi glanced at Kenshin. This was what he had tried to warn Kenshin about, even when they had been in Konan. This would not end well for either of them. He knew it; he could feel it in his bones. Tomoe loved Kenshin; it was as plain as day. How could Kenshin have missed it? Her hurt and her pain were obvious. In her voice, in her eyes, in the stiff way she forced her shoulders up, falling back on years of good breeding to support her through emotional upheaval. He tapped Kenshin lightly on the shoulder and nodded his head. Kenshin responded with a stiff nod.

Aoshi looked at Tomoe and bent his head, "My lady." She bent in a formal curtsey, bowing her head. Turning on his heel, he swiftly walked away, out of earshot. This was one conversation he could definitely go without hearing.

Kenshin looked at Tomoe, baffled at her appearance. "Tomoe, I don't…"

"Don't understand?" She laughed. "You never have. When were you going to tell me about…her? Were you going to tell me?"

"I…there's nothing to tell."

"But there is, isn't it?" She blinked rapidly. "There's the way you look at her."

"What?"

"If I hadn't seen it myself, maybe I wouldn't think about it. But when it's right there, in front of me, what am I supposed to do? You look at her Kenshin."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your eyes don't leave her face for minutes. I know. I counted. You….couldn't tear your eyes away. So…when were you going to tell me?" She asked, now desperate.

"Tomoe…I really don't think it should matter to you."

"You don't think it should matter to me?" She repeated weakly after him. Her fingers shook until she bunched them into fists. "It matters, Kenshin!"

"Why?"

"Because I love you!" She yelled back at him, frustrated by his blindness and apathy.

He stared back at her as though he couldn't understand her. Tomoe looked away, biting her lip mercilessly. She whispered. "I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you but you never see that, do you. You're always so cold, so distant, like…you don't care."

"Tomoe...I never…"

"I know. You never even realized. You didn't even know when you were trampling over my heart." She touched her forehead gently with her fingers. "But you should have known."

"How was I to know? Did you ever say anything like that to me?"

"Did the thought never cross your mind? Did it never occur to you? Not even…when we made love, did you never think about how I felt?"

"That's not fair Tomoe." He scoffed. "And love….Tomoe, we had nothing to do with love, you know that."

Tomoe stared back at him aghast. "How can you say that?"

Kenshin took two steps towards her and pulled her aside. Pressing her against the wall, he stood close and whispered, "I can say that because the subject of your feelings was never an issue when we were together. If it had been, you would have said something."

"When was I supposed to have said something?" She argued back.

Kenshin lifted his hand in frustration. "I don't know Tomoe. When I stood at your door, when I followed you into your room, when you pulled me onto your bed, any of those times might have been a good time to ask yourself why you were doing what you were doing…or why you were letting me do what I was doing to you? Did you ever stop me? No. You didn't." Tomoe looked away. He turned her face back towards him. "Do you remember what I said to you?"

"No." She replied in a small voice.

"No?" He scoffed again. "I do. I said stop me if it feels wrong or if you're not sure. You said you were certain."

"You make me sound like a whore." She replied bitterly.

"That's rubbish and you know it, Tomoe. I have never treated you like a whore, and I most definitely never thought of you as one."

"Then why are you shoving this in my face."

"I'm not. I am merely telling you that I did not lie to you to sleep with you. I did it because yes, I was attracted to you and I wanted to. Why did you do it?"

She looked away.

"Tomoe…answer me." He held her chin firmly, not allowing her to jerk away. "Tell me why."

"I….."

"Alright, let's do this another way….did I force you?

"No." She replied in a small voice.

"Was it awful?"

"What…no."

"Did you feel dirty afterwards?"

"What are you…no."

"Did you love me then?"

"Yes."

"Did you ask me if I loved you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because….."

"Yes?"

"Because…because you said… you had no time for love and that…you couldn't get emotionally attached to anyone."

"Why didn't you tell me you thought you were in love with me?"

"Because you would have left me if I told you.!" She finally broke down. Covering her face with her hands, she sobbed piteously as Kenshin could only watch helplessly. "I couldn't let you leave me Kenshin. I was in love with you! And I fell harder and deeper every time we met, every time you touched me, every time you kissed me, all I could think of was you. I couldn't let you leave me so I lied! I lied when I said it was just passion, nothing more."

Kenshin stepped away from her. Slowly, her sobs subsided and her breathing became regular. Tomoe wiped her cheeks with her hands. Kenshin looked down the hall.

She smoothed her hands down her kimono and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She stared at him. "Do you want her now?"

Kenshin ignored her question. "You should go."

"Do you love her?"

"It doesn't concern you. Stop asking about her."

"I won't. I'll keep asking until you tell me."

"Prepare to be disappointed."

"I don't think I will be disappointed. I can always ask someone else. Or ask her myself. I'm sure….we can find plenty of things to talk about." She smiled slyly. Kenshin turned to her sharply.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It could mean any number of things."

"Tomoe, I am warning you. Stay away from Kaoru."

"Or what? What will you do?" She pushed her body off the wall and stood before him.

"You'll know when the time comes."

"You don't scare me Kenshin."

He smirked. "Goodbye Tomoe." He turned and walked away. She watched him go with hard eyes.

"You can't leave me Kenshin. If you won't leave her, I'll just have to make her leave you. Simple." She smiled.

X

Kenshin moved like a blur of colour on the wind as he zipped around the dojo, the hiss of metal on the air rising in volume as well as in tempo as he went through the motions of his kata faster and faster. Tomoe's words had unsettled him, and he was berating himself for being so oblivious to her. Why hadn't he noticed this before? But, she had always been so flippant about the whole affair that he couldn't have believed her even if she told him.

And now, he felt like an absolute cad. The sight of her crying had rankled deep in his heart and he wished he had ended the whole thing long ago instead of letting it drag for so long. He only wished that she would be alright. Because even though he had never loved her, he had in his own way cared for her. The time they had spent together was precious to him, and he didn't want her to wallow in the pain he could now see plainly in her eyes.

The other swordsmen in the dojo had long since left, none of them wanted to be trapped into sparring with him, not when he was in such a fine mood anyway. When he finally finished, his muscles ached and his head throbbed. He took a quick bath and picking up a package intended for Kaoru, he made his way to the Dowager Empress's palace.

A few minutes later found him waiting in her formal sitting room, a gushing Lady Maira had tried to stay to "keep him company" while Kaoru dressed to receive him but he'd dismissed her.

The telltale rustle of silk at the door told him Kaoru had arrived.

"Kenshin, what are you doing here?" She asked pleasantly. He turned to look at her. Her success at court had left her glowing and she looked as though the sun had lost itself inside her. Kenshin grinned. It was good to see her so happy. He pushed thoughts of Tomoe away.

"You look good." He remarked casually, running his eyes up and down her frame. She seemed not to mind.

"I feel good. I can't believe I did it! I was so nervous but it all worked out fine. I'm so happy. I didn't think he'd be so nice about it." She sat down beside him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't go crowning him your favourite person just yet."

"Oh he's not my favourite person." She quipped.

"So you do have a favourite person?"

"In Kutou, of course."

"Who?"

"Grandma!" She shook her head at him, as though telling him that it should have been obvious. He shook his head. She noticed the package propped against the chair beside him. Pointing at it, she asked. "What is that?"

Kenshin picked it up and held it out to her. "It's for you."

Kaoru looked surprised. "For me? What? Why?"

"Because you handled yourself very well." Kaoru flushed with pleasure. "Shishou terrifies people. I can count the number of people who can stand before him and actually remember what they want to say on the fingers of one hand. And you….you met him for the first time, in the middle of court; with all the court present…it was impressive."

"It was okay." She tried to be modest even though she was turning cartwheels inside her head and heart.

"He liked you."

"How can you tell?"

"He let you live." Kenshin looked at her. Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek. Kenshin's intense scrutiny was making her warm. She held her breath, afraid to breathe because she feared her breath would sputter. She needed to think of something else…right now. She lifted the long, slender package onto her lap.

"Should I open it?"

"Please."

Kaoru grinned and set about attacking the wrapping like a child. She pulled and twisted the ribbon off, tore the paper and bunched it up in wads before throwing it away. Kenshin watched the growing pile of discarded wrapping paper with amusement. Finally, the paper was brushed aside to reveal a muslin-wrapped sword of some sort. Kaoru glanced at Kenshin inquiringly but he refused to meet her eyes. She loosened the muslin and pulled it off.

It was her father's sword.

Her breath caught in her throat and she looked at him. Her eyes grew moist.

"Kenshin…"

"It's yours. You should have it."

Kaoru held it tightly in her hands. She flipped it over and traced her fingers lovingly over the sheath. Glancing up at him, "You didn't have to." She wet her lips. "Da gave it to you, and I know why. You….can't give it to me."

"It's yours."

Kaoru gripped it tightly, and pulled the sword to her chest. "Thank you." Tears shone through her eyes and she quickly flicked away a stray tear that escaped her eyes. Kenshin noticed. He looked away.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat, "I think you should have it, considering….all the effort you made to get it back the first time." He smirked as he watched Kaoru's cheeks turn bright red as she recollected that disastrous trip inside his tent to retrieve the sword. She pouted.

"Did you have to bring that up?"

Kenshin shrugged. "It is one of my fondest memories. I don't usually have a beautiful woman sneaking up on me at night."

"Will you stop it?"

"It was memorable, what can I say?" He stared at her neck pointedly. Kaoru felt her eyes grow wide as she remembered the way his lips had dug into her skin and his tongue drew insistent circles on her pulse.

She grit her teeth and demanded. "Have you no shame?"

He smirked back at her. "None whatsoever."

X

**Author's Note**

All in a night's work! Please do comment. And if there are words missing, I'm sorry. I just want this story to move quickly so I'm updating when I can.


	28. The King's Gambit

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any form.

**Rating**: T

Hello everybody!

First things first, this chapter is for all the reviewers who have showered me with love and guidance every single step of the way. You know who you are, and I love you all dearly for it.

It is January 18, 2012. Seeing as I am already behind my schedule for the new chapter update on this story I am going to try to finish off quickly within the next two, three days. This will mean a shorter chapter…(I can hear people cheering…yay! For once we get to skip all the descriptiveness and get straight to the action) …yeah yeah I know who you are! More importantly, this also means that there will be no drabbles for the next few days. Deal with it, yeah. I can only write about a 1000 words a day in between real life. So it's either the drabbles or one of the ongoing stories.

And oh my goodness, how obsessed am I with Zuko and Katara. I saw the clip featuring Zuko's fight with Azula and …oooh yummy. It's giving me all sorts of wicked ideas. Anyway, back to this story.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 28: The King's Gambit**

* * *

**Recap**

Kaoru gripped it tightly, and pulled the sword to her chest. "Thank you." Tears shone through her eyes and she quickly flicked away a stray tear that escaped her eyes. Kenshin noticed. He looked away.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat, "I think you should have it, considering….all the effort you made to get it back the first time." He smirked as he watched Kaoru's cheeks turn bright red as she recollected that disastrous trip inside his tent to retrieve the sword. She pouted.

"Did you have to bring that up?"

Kenshin shrugged. "It is one of my fondest memories. I don't usually have a beautiful woman sneaking up on me at night."

"Will you stop it?"

"It was memorable, what can I say?" He stared at her neck pointedly. Kaoru felt her eyes grow wide as she remembered the way his lips had dug into her skin and his tongue drew insistent circles on her pulse.

She grit her teeth and demanded. "Have you no shame?"

He smirked back at her. "None whatsoever."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Kaoru sighed as she rolled over in bed. She opened her eyes and stared up at the canopy of white muslin that surrounded her bed. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. Rushing to the wardrobe, she rang the little brass bell for the maids. It was a big day today! She had her first meeting with Councillor Katsura who was overseeing all administrative matters related to Konan and its prisoners. It was time to find out what sort of constraints the Emperor had put on her freedom to move and interact with them. She was not operating under any illusion that Hiko Seijurou had given her a free pass to her people. Oh no, that would simply be too easy.

She knew that even though announcement in court had given her the freedom to persevere for them. There would be obstacles to the changes she wanted and it would be a slow, painful process to get people to listen. Bureaucrats, scribes and officials – these were the people who were the key to solving the daily problems of her people. And she had to find a way to get them to work in her favour. She brightened at the thought of finally beginning the task she'd given herself nearly weeks ago. Her foot stilled on the staircase. Weeks….had it been that long already?

Weeks…since she'd seen her father, her uncle, Okita….and Soujirou. Where were they all now? Were they well? Were they alive….maybe looking for her? She took a step forward. The smile gracing her lips died away as she thought about her family. The situation she was in….living in the Dowager Empress's palace….how would they react to it? And what of her friendly equation with Aoshi? Would it be too strange, too extreme for them to understand….she bit her lip. She had reached the bottom of the staircase. As she slowly made her way to the terrace where she knew the Empress Dowager was seated, her footfalls became slower.

A tiny voice at the back of head spoke up, 'why aren't you thinking about what would _really_ upset them?' 'Are you trying to pretend that it doesn't exist?' Kaoru stopped. The throbbing of her blood in her veins, the butterflies in her stomach, the tossing and turning at night….none of it was because she had come to love the Empress Dowager as her own or because Aoshi was kind to her. It was because of Kenshin. It was what she didn't want to think about. And it was this that would drive a wedge between her and her family, if they ever met again. How, Kaoru….does one go from hating an enemy to having illicit thoughts of him? How?

"Princess Kaoru!" Kaoru snapped her head up. Lady Maira stood beaming before her. "I was just coming to get you. Her Imperial Highness has requested your presence for breakfast."

Kaoru pulled her features into a pretty smile and nodded slightly, gesturing for Lady Maira to lead. She pushed her disquieting thoughts to the back of her mind. She needed to concentrate before she went to see the Councillor. She couldn't pay attention on her task with all these thoughts splintering in all four directions. And she wasn't doing anything wrong. And as for her recent preoccupation with Kenshin – it was simply because he was around so much, because he was worried about her, and he felt responsible for her but once she had established a routine of her own, he would not bother with her so much. And she only paid attention to him because he was new to her life. It was merely physical attraction; she was of the age when such things began to become more noticeable, but it didn't mean anything.

Holding her chin high, she convinced herself. She loved Okita. She knew that. She would do nothing to betray that.

X

Councillor Katsura looked bemused as he noticed the person standing in his office. He smiled as he stepped inside, "To what do I owe this honour, your Highness?"

Kenshin returned his smile. "Please Councillor, it embarrasses me when you speak like that to me. You are, and always have been one of my most insightful teachers."

"Ahh, but the wise man treads carefully around a waking dragon, especially one as youthful as you." His eyes twinkled and he gestured to a cushion by the window, waiting till the prince sat before taking a seat opposite to him. "Now, what can I do for you?"

There was a pattern of peonies inlaid with enamel in the table. Kenshin glanced at it for a moment, carefully gathering his thoughts before he spoke. It was a habit of his, to never rush into conversation. He always took his time, choosing his words with care, only to be as direct as he could possibly be. Artifice didn't come naturally to him and after a few forgettable instances during his early years at court, he had abandoned it.

"I want to know how much has been allowed to Princess Kaoru. Shishou seems to have been very generous…but you and I know better."

Katsura allowed a corner of his mouth to tilt upwards. "Pardon me if I offend, my prince, but I was led to believe you had the lady's best interests at heart. Do you ask me in the capacity of a well wisher of the lady or as my future sovereign?"

Kenshin shot him a glance before answering, "I do have the lady's best interests at heart but I ask you this as crown prince of this empire. There is a difference between what is best for the lady and what the lady deems best for her people. I am…in a complicated situation Councillor. I want Princess Kaoru to do what she pleases to fulfil her responsibilities but I do not want this generosity to make things difficult for us in the future."

"I understand Your Highness. Rest assured, there will not be any uprising sourced from the Princess's endeavours for her subjects. The Emperor made sure of that. The princess may bring comfort and prosperity to her subjects through her efforts but I do not foresee an opportunity to stoke rebellion amongst the refugees because of it."

Kenshin nodded. "That is all I wanted to know. Thank you for your time Councillor."

"Thank you for yours, my prince." Katsura bowed his head and waited until the crown prince had left the room before straightening to reach for the sheaf of papers requiring his attention. He had scarcely managed to read the first page when the lady in question was announced present by the herald and asked to step in.

Katsura smiled politely and settled down to observe her. The riveting interlude in the Throne room had hardly been enough to satisfy his curiosity about her. As a former instructor to the crown prince, Katsura kept a close eye upon the prince and his cronies and the women in his life. That the prince was pursuing her, was obvious. What was not so obvious however, was her reaction to the pursuit. Was she accepting, declining, or still in indecision? Katsura smiled once more as Kaoru appealed to go visit the refugees today.

He smiled but didn't give in. "Tomorrow, my lady. Tomorrow, I will arrange for ample security to escort you to the camps. "

Kaoru looked perplexed. "But, these are my people. Why do I need security amongst them?"

Katsura laughed softly, but not partonizingly. He looked at her directly. "Yes, I realize how strange it must seem to you but the circumstances have changed. You are going there under the banner of the Lightning emperor. I cannot guarantee that everyone will see this gesture as one of goodwill. There may be those that believe that sending you there is just a means to show power. I assure you it is not. But, I am loath to risk your safety when there is no need to do so. Surely, you understand, my lady."

Kaoru lowered her eyes. "Yes, I do understand."

Katsura smiled once more. "Well then, that is settled. Is there anything else I may help you with?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No. There is nothing else."

Katsura bowed her out of the office. Turning to look at the mess of papers accumulating on his desk, he sighed. What a morning!

X

Kaoru was surprised to see the ladies bustling about when she reached the palace after visiting the councillor. She watched with confusion as a lady ushered her into the Dowager Empress's day room. The Dowager Empress smiled and waved away her questions.

"Don't be so surprised. This is to be expected."

"What is to be expected?"

"You, my dear, are a success. And successes are meant to be toasted and celebrated. Therefore, we have been invited to a small gathering. It will be mostly noble ladies and their daughters."

Kaoru frowned. "Oh. They really don't have to do that." She had a great deal to think about. A great deal she had pushed away in the morning but things that needed to be addressed soon. The last thing she needed was to doll up and smile and murmur inane pleasantries over tea. She sighed, what she really needed was her bokken. A little practice always went a long way in clearing her head.

The Empress chuckled softly, "Oh but they do. Claws have been sharpened and they can't wait to sink them into you." Kaoru looked taken aback.

"But, why should they bother with me? I haven't done anything."

The empress laughed at that. "Oh, my child, you have no idea, do you?" She stood. "Do you have any idea how many years it takes a nobleman to attract the attention of the Emperor? And you, waltz in, gain an audience with him, stand your ground and get your way."

Kaoru looked down. "They must hate me."

"Naturally."

"In that case, I'll just stay here Grandma." Kaoru smiled winningly. The Empress merely gave her a dry look.

"Nonsense. We are going, you and I, and we are going to enjoy ourselves." She turned and nodded at a dark indigo kimono. "And besides, if we do not go, Kenshin will be absolutely bored to tears."

A shiver ran down Kaoru's spine, and she tried to look casual. "Oh, is he coming as well? I thought you said it was only ladies."

"Well, of course, if he decides to attend. It is on palace grounds and the ladies always invite him and a few select others. Oh, you might meet Shogou there."

"Shogou?" Kaoru asked with curiosity. This name was unfamiliar.

"My eldest grandson…and Kenshin's elder brother."

Kaoru blinked. "Kenshin has a brother?"

"Yes. Did he never mention it?"

"No."

The Empress sighed. "They are not close, those two. But I love them both."

Kaoru frowned, the wheels of her mind turning carefully. "Grandma, if Kenshin has an elder brother, should he not be the heir to the throne?"

The Dowager Empress paused before looking at her. "For centuries, it has been the emperor's prerogative to choose a successor, and Hiko chose Kenshin. That's all there is to it."

Years spent beside Kamatari had trained Kaoru expertly in the art of holding her tongue when required. She knew when to back away from a potentially explosive tangent in a conversation. She knew how to veer away from unpleasant and uncomfortable subjects, and she had the grace to allow someone to recover quickly from a slip or faux pas. So she reached to touch the older lady's arm and softly murmured her admiration for the pearl comb in her hair.

The Dowager Empress clasped her elbow and squeezed it slightly, conveying her appreciation for her silence. She watched with fond eyes as Kaoru rose and left the room to ready herself to meet the court ladies. Sighing, she turned away and looked in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her accusingly. She shut her eyes, remembering a painful conversation, years ago….

"_She was mine! She was mine and you knew it! You had no right…no right to do this!"_

"_It was her choice. We had nothing to do with it."_

"_I can't accept you would do this to me...this changes nothing! Nothing! She will always love me….and you will realize your mistake…"_

"_My son, listen to me…"_

"_No….no more…" _

She sighed. How many times would she live this memory? How long would she revisit that one mistake that alienated her from her sons, and the discovery of which would destroy her grandchildren? When would the reflection in her mirror stop blaming her for what happened?

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head slightly and nodded at the girl who silently to her side, holding a tray filled with powders and paint jars.

X

"Please raise your arms, my lady." Kaoru raised her arms and slowly turned. The soft, white ribbon of cotton was wound around her chest tightly, nimble fingers adjusted it here and there, making sure it never overlapped in one place more than the others. Kaoru brought her arms down automatically, paying little heed to what the girls were saying around her. A pale gold kimono was wrapped around her. A faint, hardly-there smudge of golden dust sprinkled on her cheeks, her eyes quickly lined with a thin line of kohl. Her hair twisted into an elegant hair knot at the crown of her head, decorated with an ivory comb and she was ready. The girls stepped away and she was left alone with her thoughts.

Despite having an elder brother, Kenshin had been named heir to the empire. Even when she had been in Konan, nobody had ever mentioned him. Maybe he liked to stay out of the public eye? He had not been in Konan. She would have known, she would have seen him with Aoshi and Kenshin if he had been. And even Grandma had not wanted to speak about him, and she seemed a bit upset that she had let slip the fact that they weren't close.

Soujirou wasn't related to her by blood but her loyalty to him was fierce, and deep-rooted. There was not a day that passed that she didn't think of him, and wish him near. Soujirou understood her in a way nobody else had ever managed. If there was one person from her family who would understand and accept the strange predicament she now found herself in, she knew it would be him. Kamatari had loved her father too fiercely to ever condone the man who killed him, duel to the death or not. Okita would accuse her of betrayal and rightly so, but Soujirou ….Soujirou would understand, and perhaps forgive her, because that's what siblings did for each other. They became a wall of protection against the world.

She blinked. Kenshin and Shogou were truly unfortunate if they let something come between that.

X

Kenshin studiously avoided the flurry of activity in one of the lower gardens of South Court. He knew what was going on but had decided that he would enter the fray only if he saw Kaoru present. If she wasn't there, he wasn't interested. He leaned against one of the dozens of pillars lining the hallway of the Pavilion. His outward calm was due to his tight control on his emotions. His aura coiled around him like a tightly wound spring, ready to spring viciously if allowed even half the chance. He waited.

_Where are you Kaoru?_

The skin over his knuckles stretched taut and white, his fingers clenched stiff. He turned his head at the sound of a woman's laughter and growled in frustration when it wasn't the face or the smile he was searching for. And then – just as suddenly – his growl turned into a deep rumbling in his throat. She had arrived.

He watched as she stood quietly beside his grandmother, eyes cast down, hands folded, completing the picture of the innocent, young damsel. He smirked. It was an image that had served her well in the Throne room, but he knew better. Behind that innocent façade, resided a wit as sharp as a whip and a mind as strong and as stubborn as a mountain. He curled his lip as she smiled prettily at the small circle of noble women surrounding her. By the time, they began to walk towards the maze; Kaoru had charmed the stern and intensely patriotic matrons who ruled the social life of the Court.

He shook his head. They only saw the pretty-as-a-picture princess. But he knew better. He saw the girl who had waved her hands in the face of a total stranger, he saw the girl who would throw caution to the wind to retrieve what was hers, he saw the girl who yelled at him for saving her, and also the girl who was beginning to lose herself to him, but hadn't acknowledged the signs…yet.

He stared at her now, willing her to turn and look at him. She was speaking to someone, all she had to do was lift her eyes….come on Kaoru, look at me.

Kaoru sighed softly. She'd just spent five minutes being stared down by the matrons of some of the oldest families in Yantai. They were terrifying but there was only one thing to do – speak when spoken to and try not to antagonize them. So she turned up the corners of her mouth and remained silent. These were the women whose husbands had access to funds she would need released soon for her work. She rolled her eyes inwardly and moved away.

There was a flash of red at the periphery of her sight. She blinked and narrowed her eyes. Kenshin. He was at the opposite end of the pond surrounding the pavilion, immersed in conversation with a stately looking man. As she watched, he turned his head slightly towards her and caught her looking at him. He raised an eyebrow. Kaoru immediately looked away.

"Kaoru dear, I want you to meet someone." She nodded and joined the Dowager Empress. Smiling once more, she conversed in soft tones, her answers an effortless progression that required no thought on her part. She surreptitiously looked for Kenshin out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was doing. As the lady left, Kaoru turned back towards the place she had last seen him, but he was no longer there. She felt her spirit sag for a moment before her overzealous conscience began to question her as to how it even mattered.

The last thought she had as she collided into someone was, I'm just looking for him because all this smiling is tiring me.

"Oh!" Where did this person come from? I didn't even notice…."I'm so sorry…I….Kenshin?" She looked at him incredulously.

He did not respond, choosing to watch her silently, knowing that the silence would stoke her curiosity more any words ever would. He tilted his head as he took in her appearance from her head to her feet. She held her breath. Surely he would say something now.

He smiled and stepped around her. "Grandma, I trust you are well." Kaoru blinked. She turned slowly, wiping the shock she felt off her face.

"Very fine, Kenshin. It's such a beautiful day." Kenshin lifted one of her hands and gently brushed his lips against the back of her hand. Looking at Kaoru, he murmured, "Yes, it is…very beautiful." Kaoru swallowed and looked away.

She frowned. This is ridiculous. She clenched her hands. Why am I letting this affect me so much? She looked up and found herself a few steps behind the Dowager Empress and the prince. She deftly caught up and resumed her place beside the regal empress, who pointed out her favourites spots in the garden.

Kaoru purposefully avoided looking at Kenshin and upon seeing a gazebo at the very edge of a lily pond, she reminisced about the gardens she had played in as a child. Talking about her home liberated her from the stiff persona she had adopted since morning and she found herself giggling, laughing and speaking rapidly without pause as she regaled the Empress with tales of her mischief with Kamatari and Soujirou. She didn't notice the frequent glances her companions exchanged as she became Kaoru once more.

"….and in the summer, me and Soujirou would sneak out of our history lessons and go swimming in the river. Our teacher would spend hours looking for us and when she couldn't find us, she'd go to complain to Taro and oh, we got into so much trouble over that…." She trailed off as she noticed that the Empress was smiling benignly at her and Kenshin had disappeared.

"Oh, I must be tiring you."

"Not at all."

"Well, I definitely drove Kenshin away." She laughed nervously.

"No, you didn't." She whirled. He was standing to a side, watching her. "I'm not that easy to get rid of."

She arched her eyebrow. "Evidently."

His eyes flashed but he said nothing. Kaoru looked down, strangely nervous at his lack of response, wondering what had gotten into him. He was usually not so quiet. The Dowager Empress had turned to Lady Maira. Deliberately, he moved closer. Kaoru felt her eyes grow wide and she looked nervously at the Empress. He stopped beside her and turned to look at them as well. Drawing her fingers into his hand, he continued to look at his grandmother, as though nothing had happened.

Kaoru tugged at her hand, trying to pull it away from his grasp. Kenshin merely laced his fingers with hers and stepped closer.

"What are you doing?" Kaoru whispered as loudly as she dared.

He looked at her. "I need to speak to you."

"So speak, let go of my hand."

"Not here."

"What?" Her eyes strayed to the Empress.

"In private." He looked about. "Alone."

Kaoru's heart jumped into her throat, as she tried to decipher what he could be thinking, saying things like that. "What…why…why can't you just say what you have to here?"

Kenshin looked directly into her eyes. "My words are meant for you alone."

Kaoru looked down. "I can't."

He didn't respond. She looked up and caught the faint glimmer of displeasure in his eyes. She shook her head. "I mean, how am I supposed to leave? I don't even know my way around. I….can't."

"Just come out of the maze, and I will find you."

"But…it might take me some time," he raised both his eyebrows at her, "to think of something to say, I mean, I've never gone anywhere alone. It'll look so suspicious if I just try to leave, without a chaperone."

"I'll wait."

"It might take me forever."

"I'll wait." He let go of her hand and slipped away quietly. Kaoru watched him go, her heart sinking with every step he took. She folded her hands together and groaned. What was she supposed to do now? There was nothing she could say that would convince the Dowager empress to let her go wandering about alone in the palace. Why did he always have to put her in such difficult situations? Why couldn't he just say what he wanted right here?

Kaoru shut her eyes and pressed her fingers to her forehead. Her head was pounding. She wanted to go see Kenshin but she was also angry at Kenshin for putting her through this. She shook her head. What is wrong with me? Why do I even care?

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru looked up at once. "Yes, Grandma?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes! A little thirsty, but I'm fine."

"Oh, well we can get someone to get you water."

Kaoru seized her opportunity to escape. "Oh, actually I thought I could just go get a drink myself. The water fountain was just at the entrance to the maze. I will be back."

"But Kaoru, you might lose your way."

"I…will wait for you outside. I have to go."

The Dowager Empress watched her leave with a small smile on her lips. Lady Maira coughed delicately. "Are you not concerned, Your Highness? The prince is…."

"Kaoru knows what she's doing, Maira." The Empress watched as her young charge half-walked, half-ran towards the gates to the maze. _I hope_.

X

Kaoru walked out of the maze. She looked around. The late afternoon sun was all but touching the horizon, and in the pale light of the sun, everything seemed bathed in a soft, golden glow. But she didn't see Kenshin anywhere. She walked down a small path, curving towards another section of the garden. She had all but given up and was about to head back, when cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her inside a curtain of weeping willow.

She cried out in surprise only to narrow her eyes at the man who stood before her, smiling. "What did you do that for?"

"Were you scared?"

"No." He looked at her pointedly. She sighed. "Okay, maybe a little." She noticed how close they stood to one another. She looked up at him and very slowly, took a step back, pulling her hand away from his. She noticed how his eyes followed her fingers till they came to rest by her side.

"What did you want to speak to me about?"

X

**Author's Note**

Please comment.


	29. Hide and Seek

**Summary**: When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the creative work of Watsuki Nobuhiro. It does not belong to me in any form.

**Rating**: T

Hello everybody!

Spare me a few lines to wallow in misery. Somehow, everything I write that is non-Ruroken is utter, complete garbage. Is it a sign? Am I just a one fandom wonder? Will my fledgling idea of a Zutara fic be slaughtered on the altar of my incompetence…..sighs

Yes, I know. I am a drama queen.

And I want to give **aClockworkCat** a huge, giant huggle for being a sweetheart and proofreading this chapter and offering some wonderful, awesome, make-you-squeee suggestions and… (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there's more) …and doing all of the above within a day. Cat – you totally rock and I am so lucky to have you as a beta.

* * *

**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 29: Hide and Seek**

* * *

**Recap**

Kaoru walked out of the maze. She looked around. The late afternoon sun was all but touching the horizon, and in the pale light of the sun, everything seemed bathed in a soft, golden glow. But she didn't see Kenshin anywhere. She walked down a small path, curving towards another section of the garden. She had all but given up and was about to head back, when cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her inside a curtain of weeping willow.

She cried out in surprise only to narrow her eyes at the man who stood before her, smiling. "What did you do that for?"

"Were you scared?"

"No." He looked at her pointedly. She sighed. "Okay, maybe a little." She noticed how close they stood to one another. She looked up at him and very slowly, took a step back, pulling her hand away from his. She noticed how his eyes followed her fingers till they came to rest by her side.

"What did you want to speak to me about?"

**End of Recap**

Kenshin blinked slowly, momentarily taken aback by the light in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice died in his throat as he watched her. Her eyes shone and she looked around with nervous anticipation, waiting for him to say something.

But it was perhaps better to remain silent than to make a bumbling attempt at articulation, because he was certain that anything he said right this moment would be nonsense. He knew that he was probably looking like an imbecile, mouth open and staring at her like a dunce, but he couldn't help it. She looked so alive; finally he could see a glimpse of the girl she had been when he'd first laid eyes on her. Finally, that uninhibited spark, that almost childish delight in the world around her was visible once again. He could not even imagine being so carefree. Perhaps it was this, among other things, which drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

His response to little things she did surprised him; he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so affected by a woman. It was not customary for him to give so freely of himself and his time. He had never waited for anyone before, yet here he was, standing in the cover of the trees waiting for a girl he'd known for less than a month. Even now, he felt as though everything was moving very slowly; tiny leaves twirled lazily upon the evening breeze as they floated to the ground, a leaf brushed past Kaoru's nose and she smiled at it absently, looking around, her skin seeming to glisten in the soft pink light of the sunset. His chest tightened painfully, waiting for her had become so torturous in the past week...first he would wait, and then become annoyed that she could reduce him to some sort of lovesick buffoon who sat around and sighed till she deigned to appear. He would inwardly scoff, refuse to be treated so cruelly and then, sat down and stared at the place she was supposed to have arrived at minutes ago. He felt a searing heat course over his body and rush through his blood, as he bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying to regain control over his traitorous heart.

Suddenly, his heart began to race, as Kaoru was moved closer. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him warily. She was saying something…. "Kenshin? Are you alright?"

He blinked. "Yes. Yes, of course."

Kaoru looked uncertain. "You looked a little lost..."

"I was thinking." He answered quickly, hoping it would convince her. He really didn't want to go into the reasons for his state of distraction.

She laughed softly. "About what?" She raised her eyebrows playfully at him, her eyes gleaming as though they were sharing in some established secret routine between them.

Kenshin let out a nervous laugh before looking into her eyes again. He dragged his teeth over his lower lip. She was standing two, maybe three steps away from him, all he had to do was close that distance, lean in and touch her lips with his. What would she do? She would be shocked. She would push him away, glare at him, maybe even lift her hand and strike him hard across the face before launching into a tirade about how he was a depraved, lecherous bastard who deserved to rot in the lowest circle of hell. Then she would spin on her heel and stomp all the way back to Grandma.

Yes, that's what she would do…or would she? Maybe, just maybe, she might not be so averse to the idea of him kissing her. Maybe, when he leaned in to capture her lips with his own, she would not run away, but maybe she might tilt her head towards his. Perhaps she would moan, maybe gasp, close her eyes and let him hold her. He looked down, suddenly afraid that she might realize the direction his thoughts were taking through his eyes.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru held a hand in front of his face and waved it gently in front of his eyes. "Are you _sure_ you're feeling alright?" He shook his head and focused on her.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I just…" he waved his hand in the air, "I was thinking about something complicated and… never mind."

Kaoru nodded slowly. "Alright. What did you want to speak to me about?"

A mischievous smile spread across his features. "You know Kaoru, I was thinking that you've been in Kutou for almost three weeks now, and you've hardly seen any of it. I mean, the palaces are all fine but, they aren't exactly lively. So, how would you like to look at Yantai without the rules of the palace?"

She tilted her head to one side, watching him carefully. "What do you mean?"

Kenshin chuckled and stepped closer, picking out a stray leaf from her hair with his fingers. He realized that he probably should not have done that as she stiffened immediately. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at him warily. "I mean, we can leave the palace and go to the city. There is a festival tonight; there will be dancers and performers all over the city! I promise you've never seen anything like this before."

"I remember seeing something like that when we first reached Kutou…when you sent me away with Omasu remember?"

He scoffed. "That is normal. You can't even begin to compare that to what you'll see tonight."

"Really?" Excitement sparkled in her eyes and she moistened her lips with a quick flick of her tongue. The manoeuvre sent a shiver racing down his spine and he suppressed the urge to reach out and touch her.

"Yes." He bit his lip and looked at her thoughtfully. "So, would you like to go?"

Kaoru smiled widely and vigorously nodded her head. "I would love to go! Oh I can't tell you how long I've wanted to go out into the city and now we can finally do that and oh." Her face dropped and she looked dejectedly at the ground.

Kenshin frowned. "What is it Kaoru?"

She bit her lip. "When you asked me to go, did you mean just me?"

Kenshin looked around. "I don't see anybody else here."

"Oh…oh no. That's bad."

"Why?" He asked in confusion, shaking his head slightly. Kaoru's mood swings had the ability to give him whiplash sometimes.

"Why? Because, I can't just get up and go somewhere with you. It's not done... at all."

He rolled his eyes. "Who told you that?"

Kaoru pursed her lips. "Lots of people… including my Da, my uncle, Tae, Lady Maira and I'm pretty sure Grandma will agree with me. I've never been anywhere alone. I mean, I had my lessons with Soujirou and Taro would accompany me if I had to go into the city, and…and Yantai is like ten times the size of Kansan….and I don't know anybody here, and…" the rest of what she had to say just died away as she noticed the smirk on Kenshin's face.

"So, you're saying you can't go?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow. He didn't know whether to be angry or amused.

"I really want to Kenshin but…."

"But you're scared." He replied in a frigid tone.

"Of course not! It's just…." Kaoru bit her lip then brightened once more and smiled, albeit a bit shakily. "Nothing. We can go. Let me just go get Lady Maira."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed almost into slits. "What for?"

"To accompany us?" Kaoru replied sheepishly, hoping that he would agree to it. She turned her big blue eyes towards him and he almost let his irritation melt away. Almost.

Kenshin snorted. "You think we need a chaperone?" He stared at her intensely. "Interesting. Just what do you think will happen?"

"Nothing like that, I just think she will enjoy it too... And what's the harm really?"

"Oh, nothing…no harm at all, except, I will probably be tempted to slice my ears off to spare my sanity in exactly three minutes." He hissed back at her.

Kaoru let her lip curl in a pout. "There's really no need to act so grumpy Kenshin. And she isn't that bad, she's just a little….exuberant."

"Exuberant? Is that your excuse?" He shook his head with finality. "No. If we're going, we're going alone…or we're not going at all." He crossed his arms over his chest as his unrelenting, unyielding stubborn streak surfaced again.

She pouted. "That's not fair. I can't do that and you know it." Kaoru held her arms rigidly at her sight, her fingers clenched into fists.

"What's stopping you?" He arched an eyebrow as he turned to look at her in challenge.

"Kenshin…" She groaned and folded her arms across her chest. She turned away deliberately, her disappointment obvious. The self-satisfied smirk that has graced his features faded away as he realized that instead of rousing Kaoru to action, it had chiselled away at the happiness present in her eyes just moments ago.

He stepped closer to her and gently touched her elbow with his fingers. She stiffened but did not pull away. "Kaoru…life is too short to keep worrying about propriety. Grandma is not going to judge you for indulging yourself just this once. You're not doing anything wrong, I wouldn't ask you to do anything that could hurt you." He leaned forward and very slowly, tentatively his hand crept up to cup her cheek. He saw her eyes dart from his face to his hand and back. "Perhaps I am deluding myself when I think I mean something to you." Kaoru looked up to find his turbulent eyes fixed upon her. The amber hue of his eyes was coloured with barely veiled desire.

Kaoru looked away, as the back of his fingers curled against and stroked her jaw. Panic rose like a tidal wave inside her head and she shivered. "Kenshin…don't."

"I have been very cautious this past week Kaoru." He continued to speak, as though he hadn't heard her desperate plea to retreat to the familiar and safe territory of harmless banter. "I have tried to be patient, to move almost like a snail because I do not wish to alarm you. But, it is something strange to me... Caution is strange to me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Forcing herself to look into the swirling pools that were his eyes, she suppressed a gasp that threatened to tear from her mouth. Something deliciously warm and heady sparked in her veins and she barely managed to whisper.

He glanced at her. "Because, you have been troubling me... And I think I ought to return the favour."

"What?" Her mind went blank. She struggled to understand what she could have possibly done to offend him or irritate him enough to warrant being called troublesome.

"You distract me." His breath floated across the sensitive skin of her ear, his voice rumbling deep in his throat, making the skin at the back of her neck tingle.

"Kenshin…I think I should go. You don't seem to be… you seem different..." She took a step back, flinching as he followed her. Her eyes grew wide, recognising finally that the hunt was on and she had frozen in her spot.

"But you remain the same, still running." He enunciated the last word like it was exasperating.

She stopped and glared back at him, a spark of anger flashing through her eyes. "I am _not_ running."

Kenshin snorted. "Yes, you are. It's what you do: the minute things become…intense, the moment you feel your ironclad control slip…you panic and run, as if you can't trust yourself." He laughed softly. "Am I becoming so hard to push away?"

"You're being insolent and vulgar." Her fists shook and she pursed her lips, angry that he could read her so well and terrified that he would call her on it, and she would have no more space to run.

"At least I'm not being obtuse." He replied flatly, telling her exactly what he thought of her carefully built façade of denial.

Her lower lip trembled and she turned on her heel, desperate to leave before anything else happened. "I'm leaving."

His lips curled in an infuriating smirk. "If I let you."

"What?" Kaoru spun around to face him once more, indignation plastered over her face. "I don't need your permission to leave Kenshin! I came here because I wanted to see you and if I don't feel like looking at your face anymore then I will leave, whether or not you want me to!"

His eyes burned and the corner of his mouth lifted up in triumph. "At least you admit you wanted to see me."

"That was before you started acting like a jerk." She growled back at him waspishly.

He glanced at her. Her eyes were glued to the ground, defeat and discontent spiralled off her frame in waves. Kenshin winced. When had this turned into fight for domination? He sighed. He wanted Kaoru to feel secure in admitting her feelings; he didn't want to force an admission out of her. Forcing her, pushing her into something defeated the purpose of the exercise completely. He took a step back and whispered softly in her direction, letting her know how much her answer meant to him. "If I behave, will you stay?"

She stopped. Blinking at the ground, she berated herself for what she was about to do. This was probably the stupidest thing she had done in her eighteen years. She bit her lip. This is stupid…no, it's beyond stupid! I can't believe I'm doing this! Clenching her fingers together for strength, she turned to face him. If she didn't stay now, she'd spend the entire night wondering what would have happened had she stayed and she was tired of lying to herself, pretending that this man standing before her wasn't responsible for her sleepless nights, that he wasn't the reason she rushed out of bed each morning to start a new day, that he wasn't what she had been thinking of incessantly, that he wasn't responsible for the quickening of her breath, the fluttering of her heartbeat or flush that spread over her features as she sat and daydreamed.

"Tell me something," a dangerous gleam lit up Kenshin's eyes. "What has that man done to warrant such unshakeable loyalty Kaoru?"

Kaoru felt as though her limbs had frozen. She searched for the words that would explain her predicament to him. Opening and shutting her mouth in tandem, she felt her nerves shake as she wordlessly tried to explain the ties that bound her to Okita even now. Thoughts swirled in her mind, thoughts about her father, her uncle, Soujirou – each of them had accepted Okita and her rejection of him would somehow be her rejection of them…and she was not sure she had the courage to do that. So she remained silent.

His fingers clenched around the katana tied to his hip. "You would turn your back on whatever we have between us because of some misguided sense of loyalty." Kaoru shut her eyes, so she wouldn't have to see the pain she could hear in his voice reflected in his eyes. She could withstand the lure of his voice, but the intoxicating amber depth of his eyes never failed to suck her in, steal her breath and claim her soul.

"You don't understand..." She mumbled, not wanting to think about it, because it hurt too much. Either way, she was a traitor. A traitor to her blood and her country if she chose Kenshin and a traitor to her heart if she didn't.

"No I don't." He replied cruelly, making her cringe. "Make me understand if you can, if there really _is_ something that can be understood from it."

She took a deep breath and stepped away from the edge of the precipice she'd been dancing on all day. "Firstly, there is nothing between us." She winced inwardly at the ease with which the lie sprang from her lips. Kenshin scoffed and shook his head and she simply ignored him. "And secondly, my loyalty remains with Okita because it doesn't matter how good or how thrilling you seem to me, I can't just turn my back on what I had with him, because it was a good thing, which deserves respect and has to be honoured." Her bravado faded as she spoke those words to herself just as much as to Kenshin.

His jaw tightened and he closed the distance between them, tightening his fingers around her arms and pulling her forward, until there was barely an inch between them. He hissed. "Dragons above! He abandoned you, Kaoru! He left you to be taken care of by somebody else when the city was burning, when you needed him the most, he left you. Don't you see? He doesn't deserve it, your loyalty, your patience, your love… he doesn't deserve it!" He bit the words out, anger surging through his veins at her stubbornness, her blindness.

"And you do?" She asked disdainfully, her loyalty to her betrothed winning once more.

His fingers clenched tightly around her arms. He bent his head and whispered, "I wouldn't have left you, Kaoru."

His heated whisper floated over her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. She shivered and felt her insides turn into liquid. "Even if there were people who needed you? People who were counting on you to save them?"

"What use do I have for all the people in the world if saving them meant being separated from you? What use are honour and the adulation of strangers, when all I want is you?" His hands slipped up her arms to cup her face. Rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs, his breath caught in his throat as he watched her watching him. He swallowed thickly. "What do I have to do to make you understand what you mean to me?"

She was almost scared to believe it. It felt too good to be true. People waited their entire lives for elusive love and she had received it twice in her life. And now, she had to decide what to do. A grim thought twisted in her consciousness - fortune favours the brave. This time, she needed to be brave, not for anybody else, but for herself….just for herself.

"Y-you don't….have to do anything….I know." She closed her eyes and rested her hands on his wrists, the tightly wound knot in her chest dissolving into nothingness. The weight she'd carried around for days suddenly disappeared with her whispered admission. She felt his body shudder and his fingers tremble against her face, but she didn't have the courage to look him in the eye, not just yet.

He pulled one hand away from her face and gently ran his fingers along her hair to the base of her neck, pulled her towards him and bent his head. Just as his lips brushed hers, Kaoru panicked and turned her face away.

"Kenshin…I can't…" She looked up at him, imploring him not to misunderstand her. "Give me some time..." He pursed his lips and began to pull away, but she stopped him, tugging at his hand. "No Kenshin, it's not because of him. I …"

He sighed. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She replied without a moment's hesitation.

He smiled. "Then it's alright." He slowly pulled away from her.

Kaoru watched him carefully. "You're …not angry?"

He lifted the corner of his mouth in a crooked smile that turned her knees into jelly. "I got more than I expected, why on earth would I be angry?"

"But, I thought you would be offended..." She frowned slightly, confusion swimming in her eyes.

His eyes widened in understanding. "...Because you didn't kiss me back?" He asked softly.

"Well, yes." She shrugged a shoulder and stared at the ground, slightly embarrassed at having this conversation.

He laughed softly. "I am disappointed. But, now I have something definite to look forward to. And anticipation only makes the prize sweeter." His voice dropped an octane lower as he whispered in her ear. He seemed to revel in the way she squirmed, still a little uneasy with the open admission of the effect they seemed to have upon each other. He pulled his lower lip under his teeth, watching her repeat the action unknowingly.

She blinked and narrowed her eyes. "You did _not_ just call me a prize." His chuckle earned him a baleful glare.

His eyebrows shot up. "Well, I was happy with just a kiss but if you're willing to…."

Kaoru's mouth fell open and she blinked incredulously at him. She quickly recovered and punched his arm. "Oh you jerk!"

The sound of his laughter carried on the wind and floated beyond the willow tree, reaching the unwanted attention of Shogou, who stood outside the maze, watching the two figures under the canopy of the willow tree. His eyes narrowed as he stroked his chin thoughtfully, a plan forming steadily in his head. His lips curled in a vile smile. He turned to leave, shaking his head at the ease of it all.

X

The fiery orange light of the flame flared as Tomoe struck a match and lit a candle resting on her bedside table. She lifted the match up and away from the candle and held it over her eyes, watching the molten blue core of the flame dance wildly. The flame inched closer and closer to the skin of her fingertips. Searing heat curled around her skin and died away as the tiny matchstick dissolved into ash, sending sooty black powder to her cheek. She sighed and picked up another and lit it, watching as it burned out. She repeated this process slowly and painfully until all the matches were extinguished and her fingertips burnt raw. But she didn't even utter a cry of protest or pain. Not while her body felt this numb and her heart so cold. She turned in her bed, her mind a million miles away.

She groaned as she heard the faint sound of her mother's voice in the hall, calling her name. "Tomoe! Tomoe! Where are you?"

Go away... please go away... She pleaded in her mind, as she buried her head deeper into the bedclothes, while the soft shuffle of her mother's footsteps stopped outside her door. A thin shaft of light pierced the darkness of the room Followed by more footsteps. The wick of the lamp hissed as it was lit and a startled cry echoed in the room as Lady Yukishiro took in her daughter's appearance. "Tomoe!"

She set the lamp upon a table and rushed to the bed. Pulling the leaden mass of her daughter from the bed, she gasped, "Tomoe, what have you done to yourself?" Her panic-filled voiced throbbed with urgency as she held Tomoe tightly in her embrace.

It was only then that it became obvious how unnecessary and useless it was to keep up the pretence of serenity and strength. Only then that Tomoe allowed herself to crumble. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and, for the first time since she had been a child, burst into tears.

Lady Yukishiro stroked Tomoe's hair and understanding her predicament as only a mother can, remained silent and let the tears fall. "Tomoe…."

"I t-tried Mother, I-I tried s-s-so hard not to love him but …" she choked on a sob and sniffled as her tears ran down her face, "I do. I don't even remember when it changed, when I started needing him more than he needed me. I don't know when it happened. But… I love him… and he doesn't care. He just doesn't care." Her voice stuck. She choked on her words and pressed her hand against her eyes. Resigning herself to a fresh onslaught of tears, she drew her knees up to her chest and screwed her eyes shut.

Lady Yukishiro continued to stroke her hair and rub her back intermittently. "Hush dear, it will be alright."

"No, it won't! He doesn't want me anymore, Mother."

"Okay, okay, it doesn't matter. If he can forget you, then you can too."

"But I don't want to forget him! He's the only one I want. I don't want anybody else." Tomoe replied with a desperation that made it obvious that this was not a tantrum, nor posturing of any sort. She was truly devastated.

Lady Yukishiro took a deep breath. She had always known that this day would come. But knowing about it, didn't prepare her any better. Mending a broken heart took more than just time and patience, and she prayed with all her heart that Tomoe would be willing to let her help.

"Tomoe..." Tomoe looked up, her eyes red, as Lady Yukishiro placed a hand on her head. "It is best if you forget him."

Tomoe gasped and was about to reply when her mother covered her mouth gently with her fingers. "Why chase after someone who does not want you? There are other men. Men who will love you till their last breath. Don't shut away happiness because it is not in the form you want it to be. Destiny works in strange ways and perhaps this is what was intended for you." She pulled her into her arms and held her. Tomoe didn't say anything. Lady Yukishiro patted her back and leaned back.

"Let me get you something to drink. You'll feel better."

Tomoe nodded quietly and waited until she could no longer hear her mother's footsteps. She shook her head and sank back into the bed, deciding to wait until her brother was home. Only Enishi would help her now.

X

As night approached, the office block of the palace wore a deserted look save for the sentries and guards pacing about well lit corridors. Raising their hands in a formal salute the night watchmen tipped the point of their spears as an officer briskly strode by. He turned a corner and swiftly descended a series of staircases that led to a street connecting the palace to the public courtyard used for ceremonial purposes and gatherings. As he exited the gate, a man followed on his tail.

The man slipped a card to the officer and disappeared before he could be apprehended. The officer whirled about, looking around carefully before opening the card. It was blank. The officer frowned and ran a hand through his silvery-white hair. At a loss, he threw the card and began to walk away when the sight of two men standing at the very edge of the square caught his eye.

Pivoting, he strode towards them. One of them was leaning against the wall while the other stood straight, waiting for him.

He stopped in front of them. "What's the meaning of this?"

Shogou smiled. "It's an invitation."

Enishi glanced at him shrewdly. "To what?"

"Kenshin's ruin."

X

Please comment.


	30. Making Plans

**Summary:** When two warring kingdoms clash, it is up to the heirs, Kenshin and Kaoru to bring peace to a devastated land, but can they set aside their own differences or will the desire to defeat each other spur the war on. KK, AM, SM.

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin and its characters belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro. I don't own anything! There! I said it! sniffles

**Rating:** T, The rating may go up in later chapters because of adult content.

**Author's Note**: I am aware that I'm picking this story up after about a year and some months. But the funny thing is, even though it's been a year, to me it seems as though I posted the previous chapter just yesterday. This tory has never been far from my thoughts, I have constantly been writing conversations and scenarios in my head, inspired by little things that happen everyday. Yes, my foray into another fandom has also slowed down the progress of this story, but some stories just need to be told. You can't tell them to stand and line and wait their turn. They will be lost and so, I'm carrying all these stories with me everywhere I go, and whenever I find the time, i jot a little something down.

To my wonderful readers, if I have any left by now, you have all been so amazing and I appreciate each word of encouragement and love this story has received. This is for you. I am immensely thankful to aclockworkat for the endless support and patience she displays when dealing with my ramblings, she somehow manages to make sense of what I'm trying to tell her about the mood of the chapter and edits accordingly. Kat, you have never let me down and for that, I am very very thankful. Love you.

This is a smallish chapter, I had initially planned to add on to it, and show some interaction between Kenshin and Kaoru however I decided to let that remain till next time because I want everybody to pay attention to what happens this time. So, happy reading!

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**Love, Lies and Empire**

**Chapter 30: Making Plans**

Enishi pulled his spine straight and watched the man standing before him with wary eyes. He didn't know much about Shogou Amakusa, save for what was whispered about him by the court gossips, and he was far too intelligent and guarded an individual to believe everything he heard. But some facts remained unchallenged, and for all purposes proven true; one was that he craved the throne of Kutou more than anything in the world and two, that he despised his brother with all the fervour and fury of a tempest. When a man turned against his brother, there was perhaps no other enemy in the world more vindictive and ferocious than he. Because when the love between brothers turned, it always turned to poison, a poison that struck deep and deadly.

If Shogou wished harm upon Kenshin, well, who was he to oppose him? Enishi harboured no illusions that he was being asked to join Shogou's campaign as an equal. They may hate each other, but Kenshin and Shogou came from the same blood; that blood which had ruled and directed the fate of Kutou for centuries. Shogou would require his assistance but he would do so on his terms. There would be no challenging his authority. Enishi recognised the offer for what it was. Shogou required a foot soldier, somebody close enough to Kenshin's circle to keep an eye on him and deliver correct and timely information. He fought down his initial urge to bristle and brush aside the offer. Instead, he calmed his natural tendency to become irate. It was difficult, _very_ difficult but he managed it in the end. He remained silent, fighting to control his fluctuating emotions. He didn't know much about the sword style Kenshin and Shogou both practiced, but he knew that it had something to do with reading ki. If that was the case, then Shogou would be observing him keenly, attentively watching and waiting for gaps in his mental shields. The second he found a gap in his mental armour, he would exploit it by reading him like an open book. Kenshin had done it too many times to him as a child and as an adolescent for him to be ignorant of the dangers of exposing his ki carelessly.

Enishi breathed in, finally achieving a state of calm and looked up to meet Shogou's eyes, "Forgive me if I seem so bold Your Grace, but Kenshin is hardly a child who can be trifled with. Unfortunately, I cannot say that I hold any advantage over him. I have tried and failed. He cannot be harmed, not by sword, or by intrigue." He looked around the deserted square. The night watchman had passed twice since the time he had approached Shogou and Takeda Kanryuu. "He cannot be tricked, so please excuse my scepticism if I do not seem to be jumping with joy at the prospect of bringing about his ruin."

Shogou seemed amused. A smile curled lazily around his lips and tilted his head, "What's this Yukishiro? What have you allowed my fool of a brother to do to you?" He chuckled. "I was told that you had grown up, but I must admit I did not expect you to be so doubtful."

Enishi shook his head. "I do not doubt your abilities your Grace. Far from it, but I have no delusions about Kenshin's strength at this moment. You will find it impossible to stage a coup against him. He practically owns the Council! And he has the Emperor's favour." He looked at Shogou pointedly. "If anything, this latest episode should tell you. A slip of a girl shows up out of nowhere and has the entire court eating out of her hands! It is all Kenshin's doing." Enishi scoffed in disgust. "Had my father been alive, he would have told the emperor exactly what he thought about it!"

Shogou smiled benignly. "Well _you_ can tell me in his stead."

Enishi looked at Shogou questioningly, but slowly the previous wariness of his demeanour began to give way to acceptance and the desire to vent his frustration at the events that had transpired recently in court. Throwing caution to the four winds, he began to speak, telling Shogou how it was inconceivable that a woman who was practically the prince's keep had been allowed to participate and speak her mind in the court of Kutou, in front of the emperor himself! Was this the reward of centuries of loyalty, that as a nobleman whose family had bled and fought for the emperor, he was relegated to the sidelines while the daughter of a renegade king given leave to secure the interests of a people who should be rightfully enslaved.

Shogou glanced at Kanryuu out of the corner of his eyes and arched an eyebrow slowly. Kanryuu stared back at him in bafflement and shook his head, barely managing to reign in his smile. So, young Lord Yukishiro was frustrated with his lot in life. How sad, how very tragic, how opportune. Kanryuu marvelled at Shogou's ability to read people. Shogou had said that they would find a willing ally in Yukishiro, and he had demurred, saying that the young lordling had received accolades from Kenshin on his performance in Konan and it would be difficult for them to pry him away from Kenshin's camp but it seemed all his doubts had been for nought. From the sound of Enishi's steady tirade on the prince and his excesses, this discontentment had been festering for years in Enishi's mind. Kanryuu was baffled. How had he missed this? How, indeed, had Kenshin? To inspire such a malevolent dissatisfaction within a commander he had himself rewarded and promoted was a feat that was hitherto unheard of. Perhaps, Shogou was right. Perhaps, it would not be very difficult to throw Kenshin down.

'It takes one man to win a war, and one man to ruin an empire,' Shogou had told him when he had first returned to Yantai. He had been doubtful and wary. But, maybe, what Shogou had said, was true. Perhaps, all they needed to pull out the rug from under Kenshin's feet was one man.

Enishi was silent. He had spoken his full, vented all his ire, and now he stood silent, relieved of his burden and feeling lighter than he had in days. The tension that had gathered in his muscles and the tightness in his throat had disappeared. Shogou had listened to every word he'd said, not stopping him even once. He had let him speak. It was a feeling that was utterly alien to Enishi. In his dealings with Kenshin, he'd always been dismissed or humoured as one would humour a child. Shogou had not uttered a single word until he had stopped speaking, until he could speak no more.

They stood wordlessly, in the deathly stillness of the night. The dull thud of the night watchman's staff echoed across the grey marbled courtyards of the palatial compound. The wind picked up, its icy veins traced patterns on their faces and hissed in their ears. The moon had disappeared completely.

Enishi cleared his throat. He looked up at Shogou. "What happens now?"

Shogou stared into the night. His dark eyes seeking something that was not yet tangible but something that lurked just below the surface of the silent stones of the courtyard. He could see his future, now clearly visible, the golden mornings of his dreams fulfilled, now finally within reach. However, struggling against this image was the memories of golden summers passed playing with his brother in the innocent paradise that was Shimabara before Antal's death. He could see the shining devotion in Kenshin's eyes before truth and a lie had torn them apart. Sometimes he hated Antal for dying, for putting him in this position. If she had lived, he might have still loved his brother. Because he had loved Antal. She had been more of a mother to him than Cixi ever was. But it was because he had loved her so much that he couldn't forgive her. No, he could never forgive her. He had loved her then, perhaps he loved her still, but her betrayal had ripped away the last remnant of his innocent childhood. His love turned to ashes and dust in his mouth, replaced with hatred and an anger so livid that he, himself, did not know what would quench it.

"I meant what I said before….Kenshin cannot be defeated by sword or by intrigue. Aoshi shields him from every harm. What, do you plan to do?" Enishi looked up at him curiously. His eyes grew wide as he spied the steely resolve in Shogou's eyes.

Shogou didn't look at him. He was looking at something unseen to both Enishi and Kanryuu. His voice was wooden as he replied, "When you cannot defeat a man by sword or strength, then you steadily aim for one thing."

Enishi frowned. "What is that?"

A cruel smile played on his lips, his answer as soft as a feather, "His heart."

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